Anternative Life
by MistyQueHarper
Summary: An AU story about Gajeel and Levy that popped in my head while I was busy writing my degree project. I admit, most of the stuff I wrote in this fic are inspired from my own life experiences. Just a normal, day-to-day life for both Gajeel and Levy. I hope you will enjoy it! Credit: The genius Mashima made Fairy Tail happen! Give him the love he deserves.
1. Chapter 1: A Meeting With Destiny

_**Author's note:** Finally I can continue writing what I love most, and that is fan fiction. This idea popped into my head while remembering how I first met my better half. Most of the stuff I wrote here are actual facts and happenings from my life. I want you all to know that true love actually exists in this world, all you have to do is call it with all your heart. I did and he came. And I wish you all to find your true love._

_For all of you wonderful people who took the time to read and review my works (even though I was a bit AWOL), I thank you from the bottom of my heart!_

_**bf142128** , your review made me laugh. really, thank you for reading **Dance Party**!_

_**Kjpcoolcat** , indeed, it's a scene worth drawn. I should do that... hmm..._

_**lucytheftlover** , well, since chapter 9 from** Dangerous Mission** was a bit too... graphic, I decided to upload it on **adult fan - fiction .org** , sorry. i have a couple more +18 chapters there. And, for the record, I also cried while writing chapter 6_

_**Queenola-Witty** , wow, Ghana? Thanks for taking the time to read my works! _

_**Katliana **and** lucytheftlover** , I'm glad you guys enjoyed **Dare** so much!_

_**BRSxANE** , I freaking lol-ed from your comments on **Mission to Dreamland**. Sorry if I made Jet look like he took advantage of Levy, but the scene looked appropriate for him... Don't throw things, please! Also, I'm no genius writer, but thank you for the compliment! It is greatly appreciated!_

_**aj, SunAndMoon13ZK, Guest, crystalroses12, Miyo-Nani, BloodyRose2016, cece-kun, lucytheftlover, Reciecup14** and **all the other wonderful people** who took the time to read and review **The Beach**, I might do a continuation, if y'all want it so much gihihi. Gajeel sure wants **it**_

_**AlphaReapr**, I know people who are absolutely adorable when they are drunk. Most of drunken people are violent and very dangerous, but frankly i don't see Gajeel that way while under the influence. He was violent and very dangerous without alcohol, and he changed through Fairy Tail. A cute Gajeel is more appropiate for the guild and for Levy. Don't you think? Thank you!_

_**1nalufan, aj, Samantha** and **all the other wonderful peeps **who left a review and took the time to read my works, THANK YOU!_

_Now, onwards with a new fan fiction!_

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**CHAPTER 1: A MEETING WITH DESTINY**

Gajeel was beyond depressed. Sure, he had his own flourishing business, but he was lonely. He thought he would feel better once the black cat that landed on his doorstep became his companion, but he missed her. And that bitch left. A long time ago. But he couldn't help but (still) love her. And he hated himself for that.

His step-brother told him something about the all-loving Divinity, that he only needed to ask Him what he wanted, but it wasn't his type to say prayers.

But he was depressed and desperate. So he thought, with all his might, while waiting for the green light.

_Fine... if you're really out there, somewhere, watching everyone like a freak, then prove it. Send me a sign right now or I swear I'm throwing myself in front of a car._ Gajeel waited a couple of seconds and snorted disappointed. _Figures..._ Before the light could go green, he stepped into the heavy traffic with his eyes closed. He heard a distant honk and felt something hit him in his chest, getting thrown backwards on the sidewalk. _This is it... this is my end..._ He thought relieved, when a warm hand caressed his cheek.

"Are you OK? Hey! Are you hurt?" Gajeel crept his eyes open, feeling the hard concrete on his back and a warm body over him. He searched fleetly with his eyes and stared into brown ones. "Oh, thank God... I thought I hurt you..." The blue haired girl looked concerned into his eyes, breathing heavily like after a sprint. Gajeel said nothing, he merely stared, so the girl tried again. "Mister, are you OK?" She waited expectantly, placing her hands next to his body to support her weight off him and let him move.

"Uhm... yeah..." The bluenette gave him a wide smile that surprised him, never in his life seeing so much genuine relief in one smile. She quickly grabbed her sprawled bag and got back on her feet, offering Gajeel a hand to get himself up.

"You should watch where you're going, you almost got hit by a car." He could now fully see the slender, athletic girl that risked her life to save him, running from the other side of the road through heavy traffic and knocking him backwards before a big ass truck kissed his face.

"Thanks... I guess you saved me..." Gajeel was still shocked, not being able to wrap his mind around what happened.

"Don't mention it, lucky you I was around. Ah! Shit! I'm gonna be late for work!" The bluenette turned abruptly and sprinted on the other side of the road, running after the bus that passed Gajeel a couple of seconds later. "Stay safe!" She yelled behind her, speeding up to catch the bus.

"Wait! Who're you?" Gajeel slapped himself internally for not asking her name before, but she was gone. "Crap..." He thought bitterly he would never see the bluenette, when he noticed some things on the ground next to him. It was a phone, an ID and a wallet. He bent over to gather them and glanced on the ID, a smile spreading over his face without his knowing. "Levy... McGarden. Nice to meet you, too." He turned the phone over, searching for a way to unlock it. He didn't need to look long, because it was already unlocked, on the received calls folder. He read the last received call ID. "Minerva boss. Perfect." He dialed and waited for an answer. Sure enough, the phone rang twice and an annoyed voice bellowed.

"I swear to god, if you're gonna be late again, I'm firing your blue ass!"

"Uhm... Sorry to bother you..." Gajeel was taken aback by the woman screaming in his ear.

"Who're you? Where's that good for nothing blue head?"

"She ran after the bus a couple of minutes ago, but she dropped some stuff and I wanted to return them."

"How kind..." Minerva didn't hide her sarcasm. "And? What do you need from me?"

"An address. I can be there in a couple of minutes." He took his phone out and typed the address before thanking her and ending the conversation. He waved for a taxi and off he went to his savior's work place.

**TBC**

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******_How about it? Did you liked it? Loved it? Hated it? Please review, your opinion matters to me as a writer._**


	2. Chapter 2: Therapy

_**Author's note:** For the record,I work as a massage therapist. And it wasn't a friend that got me and my hubby acquainted, it was my mom. They worked together for a while and he kept complaining about his sore back. And mom puffed up proudly: "My daughter can help you, she's a massage therapist!" The rest is, well... history. 8 year long history ^_^. I'll keep you updated with what happened in real life._

_**AGAIN, THANKYOUFORYOURINFINITEPATIENCE! **_

_All in all, thank you for all the patience and love and reviews and reading my fics... And **everything**! By the way, I'd love to see a review/comment in your native language! (Of course, please consider the writer, as well, since I only know 4 languages: Romanian, English, Spanish and Japanese, so add a translation, as well, if you guys happen to not be a speaker of those 4 languages)_

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**CHAPTER 2: THERAPY**

Gajeel got to the address fast, looking rather perplexed at the building.

"Salon Minerva. How original..." He went through the doors and looked around.

"May I help you?" The girl from the reception looked him over, noticing his heavy pieced face.

"Uhm, yeah... A blue haired girl dropped these and I wanted to return th..." Before he could explain himself, a familiar voice stopped him, something squirming pleasantly inside him.

"Oh, no... Lexa... I lost my phone!" Gajeel saw the pouting bluenette, dressed in a black stretch t-shirt and black pants. She hurried to the girl behind the counter, not even noticing Gajeel standing perplexed in front of them. "What am I gonna do? Shit! How freaking stupid am I?" She groaned loudly, glancing Gajeel's way, who was grinning expectantly. "Oh, I'm sorry, you're with a customer. I'll come back..."

"Now I'm getting insulted, shrimp." Gajeel addressed Levy, who looked surprised at him, her wheels slowly clicking back into place. "You forgot about me already?"

"It's you!" Levy couldn't find her thoughts. The guy she saved was standing in front of her. "Wait, how did you know where I work?" Now Levy was imagining he was some sort of creeper, imagining him following her home every night.

"Well, you dropped some stuff when you saved my ass, so I thought I could return the favor by helping you. Here." Gajeel handed her the lost items, watching her intently as her face lit up. She looked up again and stared him in the eyes without uttering a word. "Uhm, you're welcome." Gajeel felt awkward under her stare.

"Oh, sorry, thank you! Really! I just... I thought I'd lost these for good. Thank you!"

"Don't mention it…" Gajeel scratched the back of his head, looking away from her eyes.

"LEVY! Are you gonna sit on your ass all day?" Minerva's booming voice could be heard from behind a door.

"Aaah… Coming!" Levy looked towards the door with fear, but turned quickly to Gajeel. She beamed at him before glomping his shocked form. "Thank you for returning my stuff! Really! Sorry, I have to go… Stay safe!" She ran quickly to her boss, leaving Gajeel gap after her.

"Do you need anything else?" The girl behind the counter asked, bringing Gajeel back to reality.

"Uhm, no, thank you. I'll just take my leave." With that, he turned around and left.

The next day, Gajeel felt sore. He rubbed his right shoulder, with no luck. His step-brother, Natsu, quickly noticed his mood and opened the subject.

"Hey, man, if you're really that sore, I told you, I know this therapist. Her hands work magic. Really. I'm gonna give her a call."

"I think I pulled a muscle yesterday, when that chick saved me." He recalled the whole thing, lingering on her brown eyes. He tried to move his neck and stopped, his neck throbbing painfully. "Okay, fine, call her. But I'm not payin'." Natsu's face lit up and made an appointment for his stubborn step-brother.

"Tomorrow morning, 10 A.M. She'll be here. I'm tellin' you, metal head. She's really something. She's got golden hands. You won't regret it." Natsu was almost jumping up and down, feeling certain Gajeel would be impressed with her skills.

"Alright, flame brain. It's your money, after all." Gajeel snickered, taking a swig from his beer. The rest of the day was uneventful, Natsu making him stay over for the night so he wouldn't ditch his appointment in the morning.

The door bell rang at 9:50 A.M. while Natsu was preparing breakfast.

"Go see who it is, I haven't finished breakfast yet." Gajeel grunted as he got up from the couch and headed for the door. He opened it with a frown and stopped suddenly.

"Levy?" Gajeel couldn't believe his eyes.

"Gajeel... right? What are you doing here?" She was stunned.

"Uhm... it's my brother's house... What are _you_ doing here?"

"I'm here on an appointment." Levy smiled warmly.

"Wait... You're ... the massage therapist?" Gajeel was taken aback, not expecting such a slender girl to be able to massage a cat, let alone a well toned man.

"Yeah. Why?"

"Oi, you idiot, are you gonna invite her in or not?" Natsu's head popped from the kitchen to glare at Gajeel.

"Oh, right... Sorry... Come in." Levy smiled and walked passed Gajeel to greet Natsu.

"Mornin', sleepy head. Never thought I'd see you up and running at this hour. What's cookin'?" She threw her backpack on a chair and took off her shoes, hunting for some slippers.

"Oh, the usual. Omlette and bacon. Would you like some?" Natsu flipped his meal in the pan.

"Nah, I already had breakfast. Whenever you're ready, we can get down to business." She grabbed a glass and poured herself some water to drink.

"Oh, you're not doing me today. Gajeel's the lucky bastard. He pulled a muscle. Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. Gajeel, this lovely lady here is..." He motioned to the dark haired man, who came behind the bluenette in silence.

"Levy..." Gajeel answered before Natsu could finish, making Natsu snap his eyes Gajeel's way.

"You two know each other?" Natsu asked the bluenette, who merely smiled.

"Just briefly. We... bumped into each other a couple of days ago." Levy glanced Gajeel's way, smiling warmly.

"Ha! Now that's an understatement." Gajeel snorted, crossing his arms. "She's the one who saved my ass."

"Really? Oh, wow! He told me a lot about that! You're amazing, Lev!" Natsu hi-fived her, oblivious to Gajeel's glares.

"He... did?" Levy looked perplexed at the pieced man and she could swear she saw him blush just before he averted her eyes.

"If you're ready, don't keep the girl waiting! Go on, shoo!" Natsu ushered his brother and Levy, who merely smiled, being comfortable with his weird sense of humor.

"Well, if you're ready, we can start." The bluenette pulled the massage table from its place and started preparing her stuff. Once the table was set and the atmosphere was cleared, she went to the bathroom to change her shirt and wash her hands. When she came back into the room, Gajeel was standing awkwardly next to the table, no knowing what to do. "Have you ever done this before?" Levy asked amused.

"No…" Gajeel answered truthfully, looking around him. He noticed the thick fragrance of an incense stick and watched Levy intently as she dimmed the natural light that was coming through the window and lighted some candles.

"For starters, you have to get your t-shirt off." Levy smiled as she turned the small CD-player on. Gajeel obliged and waited for her next order, Levy appraising his well built body. "Now lie face down and let me do my job. Oh, yeah, unbuckle your pants a bit so I can cover them with a towel. I don't wanna get oil on them." He obliged, stiffening when she pulled on them to reveal his lower back better. "Relax, we're doing therapeutic massage. The spine starts from here." Levy placed her hand half way on his behind before pouring some oil in her hand and starting the session. "If you want me to change the pressure, let me know, 'kay?" Gajeel grunted, feeling Levy's small hands pressing hard on his back. They continued like that for the next hour, Levy smiling from time to time when Gajeel stiffened when she would press to hard. At one point, the raven haired man fell asleep, snoring lightly. Levy let him be and continued working on his back muscles.

"Okay, we're done for the day." She whispered once she thought the job was done. Gajeel twitched awake, already missing the warmth in her hands. "You'll still feel some pain today, but after a good night's sleep, you'll feel much better." She covered his back with a towel, leaving Gajeel grunt a _thanks_. "Give me a call tomorrow and tell me how you feel, 'kay?" She smiled warmly and went to the bathroom to wash her hands. Once she was out of the room, Gajeel fell asleep again. Levy crept out of the room, letting him be, and joined Natsu in the kitchen.

"How's he?"

"Sleeping." Natsu burst into laughter, knowing what power Levy held in her hands.

"He's gonna become a regular, I just know it."

"I should get going, my shift starts at 2. Give him my number, okay?" Natsu paid the girl after she got her shoes on and kissed her cheek.

"Have a good one, Lev!"

"You too!" The bluenette took her leave, waving at her friend. Natsu closed the door, creeping back to his room to check on his brother, giving up the idea of scaring him after he heard him snore lightly.

**TBC**

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******_How about it? Did you liked it? Loved it? Hated it? Please review, your opinion matters to me as a writer._**


	3. Chapter 3: Connecting

_**Author's note:** Sorry I've been MIA for a while, I haven't finished my exams yet. Had this chappie mostly done, so I decided to wrap it up and uploaded it, since I know how much you guys wanna see this continued :D (Thank you!)_

_**lucytheftlover** , **guest** , thank you for the wonderful words!_

_**RikaAltraz** , yeah... he's pretty much human in this story XD and I'm a massage therapist in real life, so it is pretty interesting. I get to meet new and wonderful people. I get to see the beautiful side of them_

_**LumiSusi** , no worries, she's still a bookworm, but I'll write about that in the next chapters :D_

_**BRSxAne** , THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!_

_**julianapaulinoaz** , yes, she holds him literally in her hands XD and even a strong looking man can be destroyed by a woman, but they'll never show it. My hubby experienced something like that, and it took a while to open up and tell me about his first love. And he told me I impressed him and made him feel again. Made him forget about her. I will be reading your work after I finish my exams (which will be on Friday XD)_

_**AGAIN, THANKYOUFORYOURINFINITEPATIENCE! **_

_All in all, thank you for all the patience and love and reviews and reading my fics... And **everything**! By the way, I'd love to see a review/comment in your native language! (Of course, please consider the writer, as well, since I only know 4 languages: Romanian, English, Spanish and Japanese, so add a translation, as well, if you guys happen to not be a speaker of those 4 languages)_

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**CHAPTER 3: CONNECTING  
**

Natsu slapped Gajeel awake, scaring him.

"How long are you gonna sleep there, asshole?"

"THE FUCK? You idiot! You almost gave me a heart attack!" Gajeel lunged for his grinning brother.

"You've been sleepin' for the past two hours! Don't you have work?" The raven haired man stared for a moment at him before the wheels clicked into place.

"What time is it?"

"It's half past 3, idiot!"

"SHIT! Why the fuck didn't you wake me up sooner? Wait, how the heck did I even fall asleep in the first place?" Gajeel was a bit confused, not remembering how he got on the massage table.

"Remember Levy? Blue hair, golden hands…" Natsu smirked superiorly, feeling damn proud he got the two acquainted.

"Oh, yeah, right…"

"Her hands are really something, right?" Natsu grinned, watching Gajeel intently.

"Hmm…" He breathed, rolling his shoulders to check his muscles. "I'm not sure… It still hurts a bit. I'm not really that impressed with her skills…" Natsu looked a bit offended at him, but let him be, for he knew the effects of Levy's hands.

"Whatever, we'll talk tomorrow about her skills. Right now, you need to get the fuck out of my house." Natsu showed Gajeel the clock, emphasizing once more how late he was.

Later that day, after work, Gajeel got home as usual, Pantherlily, his black cat, greeting him with a mewl.

"Hey, Lily…" He looked disgusted around his empty apartment, going straight for the fridge to get a beer. For some reason, he was in no mood for the news or TV in general, so he kicked his boots off and slumped on the couch, Lily jumping lightly on his belly a moment later. He stroked him behind his ear, feeling his eyelids very heavy. The next thing he knew, it was morning.

He woke up with a start from a weird dream, remembering Levy's warm smile. He got up and stretched, going straight for the bathroom to do his morning ritual. He was bended over the sink, washing his face when he noticed, with surprise, that his shoulder was no longer bugging him. He stood up and looked intently in the mirror, analyzing himself thoroughly. Gajeel felt wide awake, even well rested. He stretched his neck, pulled on his arm, rolled it a bit in the air, but everything was back to normal.

"Huh, well what d'you know…" Gajeel smiled a bit, feeling impressed. He grabbed his phone and called Natsu. His brother answered after the second ring.

"How the hell are you up at this hour, Metal Head?"

"It's only 8 A.M. Is that so weird?"

"Considering the fact that you can fucking shoot a cannon right next to you and not be bothered by it, yeah." Natsu giggled.

"Oh, fuck off!"

"So? How're you feelin'? Was I right or what?"

"Okay... maybe I slept better compared to the last couple of months..." Gajeel tried to hide his amazement. Whatever Levy did to him it worked magic. His back wasn't sore anymore and he slept much better compared to the last couple of years, to be honest.

"What did I tell ya? Okay, so when are you gonna call her? This is treatment, man. You can't stop it now."

"Stop bugging! I'll call her today, happy?" Gajeel snarled at his phone.

"Perfect! Let me know when you decide so I can come over, too." Gajeel could swear he could feel the smirk Natsu would have plastered on his face.

"Idiot..."

Levy was knocking on Gajeel's door at 9:55 A.M. She waited patiently and smiled when he heard a grunt and some heavy footsteps. The door was yanked open and a sleepy looking Gajeel popped his head in front of her, staring confused .

"Mornin'." Levy said brightly.

"What the f... Wait... Is it Friday?"

"Yep!"

"Shit... I forgot... Come in..." Gajeel made way for Levy and headed back to his dormitory, scratching the back of his head, not even bothering to put some pants on, walking in his shorts. "I'm a mess… I forgot about it even though we talked yesterday…"

"Bad day at work?" Levy followed him silently, leaning on the doorframe.

"It was hell…"

"Lucky you it's Friday."

"Lucky me I took the fucking day off. Just for you." Gaeel winked at the bluenette, activating a blush.

"What an honor." Levy composed herself and smiled. "Well, shall we get down to business?"

"Sure. It this fine?" Gajeel pointed at his bed, Levy nodding. "Just… Let me freshen up a bit."

"Take your time, my shift starts at 2, so we've got plenty of time. Oh, yeah, what time did Natsu say he'd be here?"

"Around 11." Gajeel's voice was muffled by the door, Levy making herself comfortable on the bed after placing her stuff next to it. A few moments later, Gajeel came back, water dripping from his face and hair, throwing himself on the bed when Levy moved from her spot. "I'm all yours." He said with a husky voice, smiling crookedly. Levy didn't say a word, she merely smiled, enjoying the attention. As usual, her hands worked tirelessly on his muscular back, feeling all the twisted muscles on his back and shoulders. An hour and a half later, she stopped, Gajeel cracking an eye open to see where she went.

"I'm going to wash my hands." She answered his internal question. "We're done for the day." Gajeel slumped back on his bed, closing his eyes. Levy came back with a towel, placing it over Gajeel's back with a caress, making him open his eyes and look questioningly at her. "There you go, we don't want you to catch a cold or something."

"It's fine, I gotta get up anyways and get dressed. That idiot should be here any minute…" Levy giggled.

"You two are really something."

"How so?" He quirked a metal studded eyebrow, grabbing his t-shirt.

"It's nice to see brothers get along so well."

"Get along? Ha! Don't make me laugh." He snorted, but Levy cut him.

"I can see it. The brotherly love you two have for each other. And it's… special."

"You sound like my sister…"

"Oh, I didn't know you have a sister, too."

"Yeah… She's young, though. You two might get along fine." He smiled warmly and looked better at Levy, noticing how pretty she really was. Levy gazed back in his eyes, getting closer.

"Do you wear contacts?" Levy blinked confused.

"What? No. Why?" Her stare was now making him uncomfortable.

"Your eyes are... red." He bulged his eyes and looked away. "It's such a strange color, I've never seen anyone with red eyes before."

"Yeah... it's... some sort of malady... one in 3 billion people gets it..."

"It's..."

"Creepy?"

"Beautiful!" Levy said at the same time with Gajeel, shocking him. "I'm sorry... I know beautiful is not a manly word, but it's a unique and beautiful color. It reminds me of..."

"Blood?"

"Roses." Again, they spoke at the same time, Gajeel staring dumbstruck at the bluenette. Never in his life, not even his parents, told him his eyes had the color of roses. He was confused, his insides squirming in a new, but familiar way. Gajeel raised his hand, wanting to touch Levy's cheek and see if she was for real, but the heavy knocking at the door startled both of them, Gajeel jumping with a curse.

"Son of a…" He hurried to the door and yanked it open." What the fuck, man? Are you trying to break my goddamn door?" He snarled to a smiling Natsu, who merely ignored him and got inside.

"Mornin', metal face."

"Fuck you!" Levy smiled warmly, getting ready for her next customer, who hugged her and kissed her cheek before getting undressed and get his therapy.

**TBC**

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******_How about it? Did you liked it? Loved it? Hated it? Please review, your opinion matters to me as a writer._**


	4. Chapter 4: Because Levy is family

_**Author's note:** I have bits and pieces for this fic and I can't find the conneting links yet... As a reward for all of you wonderful readers, I took the liberty to upload a longer chappie. Still working on **The House** and **Fary Tail College**, so no worries! Also, I uploaded a preview for **Mission Risks**, it's linked on my profile._

_**jazzkat4199** , I'm really glad I found so many Gajeel x Levy fans. They're really the best OTP_

_**lucytheftlover** , glad I could make your day!_

_The driving home part happened to me before my hubby and i got together. He made an appointment rather late in the evening and, by the time I finished, it was pretty late. so he offered to drive me home, and I accepted after a long debate. I talk a bit of 'car' too, so when I pondered outloud about the engine (he was driving a Honda Civic at the time), I impressed him (or so he said). And he wanted to impress me, as well, so he drove me home like really fast (cuz I love it fast). If I wasn't sitting, I might have melted right there when he asked me if 'I wanna feel it purr' (of course I did, silly buns). It was a very romantic move in my opinion. To make a rather lame excuse so he could hold my hand. Of course, he carressed my hand ever so often while he was driving. I'm not sure if he slammed his head on the steering wheel, but everything else from the driving part was somethingvery real._

_**AGAIN, THANKYOUFORYOURINFINITEPATIENCE! **_

_All in all, thank you for all the patience and love and reviews and reading my fics... And **everything**! By the way, I'd love to see a review/comment in your native language! (Of course, please consider the writer, as well, since I only know 4 languages: Romanian, English, Spanish and Japanese, so add a translation, as well, if you guys happen to not be a speaker of those 4 languages)_

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**CHAPTER 4: Because Levy is Family**

A couple of months passed since destiny took a turn for the better for Gajeel. Natsu noticed his good mood and decided to hold a family dinner, inviting his girlfriend, Lucy Hearthphilia and practically making her take Levy with her. As for Levy, she was confused. Sure, she and Natsu got along more than fine, they were really good friends, even though they kept a professional relationship, as well. But, to be invited (well, dragged) to a family dinner… She didn't expect it and she was unsure what to do. Lucy was smiling wickedly mysterious, but she shoved her questions aside and let her best friend pick the bluenette's outfit for the dinner.

"Uhm… Tell me again, why I was invited?" Levy helped Lucy take all of her clothes out and started rummaging through the pile.

"Well, Natsu feels like you're part of the family, so why wouldn't you be there?" Lucy grabbed a blue top and motioned to Levy, holding it up to see how it would go.

"I mean, I see why you'd be family, you guys are dating for, how long? Eight months now? And he's pretty serious, too." Levy let the blonde rummage through her clothes, a wide smile plastered on her face.

"Can't you just say 'thank you' and come along without asking so many questions?" Lucy placed a light green blouse and hunted for one of the few skirts Levy owned.

"Well, you're acting… weird… Is this dinner official or something?

"No… Why?"

"Can't I wear something… more comfortable?" She groaned loudly when Lucy finally found her black skirt and hurried back to her.

"I thought you liked this skirt…"

"I do… But not for dinner… Can't I take these, instead?" Levy grabbed a pair of stretch pants, which were too 'office' for a simple dinner in the family.

"No way! You look great in this! And I bet Gajeel will like it, too…" Lucy winked at her, activating a scorching blush.

"Oh! So that's why you're so hyped about me coming to dinner! That's it! I'm staying home!" Levy headed for her bed and started packing her clothes, but Lucy grabbed her hands, looking pleading at her.

"No! Please! You have to be there!"

"You're trying to hook me up with Gajeel, right? Not gonna happen!"

"We're not… I mean, I'm not…"

"We? Oh, no… You're plotting with Natsu…"

"Shit… You were not supposed to know that..." Lucy slapped herself, but continued. "Come on! Please come with me, please please please please please…." Lucy activated her puppy eyes, grabbing a hold of her hands with a lovely pout.

"This is why you two planned this dinner? To get me and Gajeel together? Well it's not gonna happen!"

"It's not the _only_ reason… but that's not the point! Listen, Natsu told me it's been a while since he saw him this happy and he wants to keep him that way. And he decided to get the family together, and he invited Wendy and her boyfriend, and we're gonna be there, too, and he said you should come and have a good time too, since you're away from your family, so please please please please please please pleeeeaaaase come and have dinner with us…" Lucy gave her a full puppy-eyes attack, with pouts and all, Levy sighing heavily. How could she say no to such a face?

"…Fine…" Lucy's face lit up and she jumped on Levy neck, choking her. "But I don't want you or Natsu to try anything, okay? It's not professional to get involved in a relationship with my customers."

"Cross my heart." Lucy jumped on her neck again, hugging her tightly.

An hour later, they were driving to Natsu's house, Levy playing with the hem of her skirt.

"This feels too much… I don't wanna give the wrong impression…" Levy felt a knot twisting in her stomach.

"You look fine, stop worrying. I know you've never been on a date before, but it's nothing to worry about. Just be yourself and you can't get it wrong."

"Okay…" The rest of the ride was quiet. Ten minutes later and they were knocking on Natsu's door.

"I thought you two bailed on me!" Natsu yanked the door open, lunging for his girl first, pecking her swiftly on the lips before greeting Levy with a kiss on the cheek and letting the two go inside. "Let me introduce you." Natsu headed for a deep blue haired girl as Levy got to the living room. "Wendy, this is Levy. Levy, this is my baby sister, Wendy."

"_Baby _sister? Natsu, I'm 22. Lovely to meet the famous Levy. I've heard so much about you from my brothers. What did you do to them?" Wendy smiled warmly, making Levy blush.

"_Them_?"

"Yeah. Well, Gajeel can't seem to find a different subject to discuss other than you." She winked, grabbing a hold of her hand and dragging Levy to the couch. Lucy followed Natsu to the kitchen to help him finish preparing everything for his guests. "Oh, this is Romeo, my boyfriend." Wendy beamed when Romeo made his appearance from the kitchen, holding a beer. "And this is Charle." A white cat coiled her tail lazingly on Levy's foot.

"You have a cat, too?"

"Yeah, and she's making Happy's life a living hell. I was hoping Natsu's Norwegian Blue and my Norwegian Forest would make some beautiful kittens, but she's a bit… stuck up." The two girls laughed as Levy stroked Charle's smooth fur. A loud knock interrupted the two girls. "I'll get it!" Wendy hurried to the door, squealing loudly when she saw who was at the door.

"Oye, at least let me in…" A loud groan made Levy smile. "Hey, come on! You're making Lily dizzy, get off, squirt!" Levy looked towards the door, imagining Wendy clung to Gajeel's neck like a monkey. Sure enough, when the two came in the living room, Wendy was happily strangling a blushing Gajeel. "Hey, fuck face, get Wendy off of me!" He yelled towards the kitchen, knowing Natsu would be there.

"Get her off yourself, she's your sister, too!" The muffled yell replied with a bored tone.

"Romeo, some help?" Gajeel quickly noticed an amused Romeo leaned on the wall.

"Nope. She really missed ya. It's your moment, so deal with it."

"At least save Lily…" He handed a white pet box to the young man, who took it and opened the little metallic door as Gajeel grabbed his sister in a bear hug, lifting off the ground with a smile. He twirled her couple of times before setting her back on the ground. He didn't even notice the bluenette watching him intently from the couch or the fact that Lily, his black cat, quickly joined Charle on Levy's lap, curling on her legs as she scratched behind the cat's ears. "There, happy now, ya maniac?" Wendy kissed his cheeks and grabbed a hold of his hand, dragging him to the couch. That's when he saw her, and stopped dead in his track. "Sh… Shrimp? Whacha doing here?" Levy could swear she saw him blush a bit before coming back to his senses.

"Hey… Lucy dragged me here…" She turned her head to avoid eye contact, resuming her scratching behind Lily's ears. "You didn't tell me you own a cat." She smiled lovingly to the black cat.

"He's not… really good with people, so I keep him in my room when I have guests… How the heck d'you do that?"

"What?"

"Getting Lily on your lap without getting your eyes pulled out."

"He came to me, I didn't do anything."

"Get the fuck out… That's impossible!"

"He coiled around my leg and jumped on me, and when I took my hands away, he just… sat down. I didn't do anything."

"He's not that… friendly usually… With anyone but me." Gajeel looked in awe as Levy caressed his cat lovingly.

"He probably sensed I'm a cat person. I have two cats back home…" Levy said with nostalgia. "Next time I come by, give him some space, will ya?" The bluenette turned to smile at Gajeel, leaving him dumbstruck on the couch.

"Sure thing…" It was the only smart enough answer he could reply without stumbling on his studs and embarrass himself in front of her.

The rest of the night was quiet, the six enjoying their meals and chatting the night away. At one point, Lucy took Natsu's hand and looked at him with a smile, clearing her throat to get everyone's attention.

"So… As much as I enjoy seeing the three siblings together for dinner, it's not actually the main reason Natsu called all of you here." She looked over at her boyfriend, who nodded in agreement. "We… wanted to make an announcement, actually…"

"We're moving in together!" Natsu said with a wide smile plastered on his face, followed quickly by Lucy.

"Oh…" It was like a slap on the head for the bluenette. "That's… that's great! Congratulations, you two!" She tried to fake her excitement, but Lucy didn't buy it. Levy quickly got up and lunged for her best friend, hugging her tightly. "I'm so happy for you, Lu-chan!"

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" Lucy was suddenly afraid. Levy was one of the most important people in the world for her and she needed her approval, even though she would never admit it.

"Yeah! Totally! He's a great guy and he makes you happy. Right?"

"Will you be okay all alone in that apartment?" Lucy asked with concern.

"You underestimate my powers of getting around all by myself? Please…" Levy snorted sarcastically, but Lucy didn't buy it. She knew Levy would be sad, because she was sad also. "Live your life, hon." The bluenette hugged her tightly. "He's someone who deserves you. So be with him and make a life together!"

"Thank you…" Lucy returned the hug with more force than intended, keeping her friend in place. When they released each other, Levy glanced at the clock, groaning loudly. It was way past midnight.

"I gotta go… I have work tomorrow… Well, today." She smiled sheepishly, when a screech made her turn around.

"Come on, I'll take ya home." Gajeel placed his hands in his pockets and walked calmly to the door, avoiding the wicked smiles of his siblings.

"Gajeel, I can get home by myself. I'll grab a cab or someth..." His hand stopped her mid sentence, turning to Levy.

"You're really stubborn, aren't ya? I'm taking ya home and that's final." He held the door open for her and waited for Levy to snap out of her reverie.

"I'm the stubborn one, huh? Fine." She grabbed her things and headed out the door, waving everyone goodbye before following Gajeel. He led her in front of a dark blue Mustang, making her whistle.

"Wow... Is this baby yours?" She caressed the cold metal with her fingers.

"Yeah... why?"

"She's gorgeous! How many cubic cm? 4500? 300 horse power?" Gajeel snapped his eyes her way, looking impressed since he didn't expect her to talk 'car'.

"I managed to modify her engine to 400 hp."

"Wow!" Levy got inside and looked around with awe. Gajeel looked at her smugly as he ignited the engine, making it purr to life. "Oh, my gawd..." Levy laughed exhilarated, feeling the engine purr softly.

"Well, if you like that, let's see how you like this. Buckle up." Gajeel clicked his seat belt into place and pushed the pedal a bit to make it roar, enjoying Levy's excited face. He took off with a screech, Levy laughing from the adrenaline rush. They stopped at a red light, Gajeel taking his time to glance over his right side.

"Wanna feel it purr?" Gajeel asked suddenly, waiting for the green light. He took his hand off the gearshift and nudged his head towards it in encouragement. Levy looked stunned at him, placing her hand on the gearshift and looking straight ahead. Gajeel placed his hand over hers, twining their fingers so he could grab the gearshift better, waiting for the green light. Sure enough, moments later and the green light appeared, Gajeel leaving with a screech. Levy's insides were burning from the adrenaline and the butterflies Gajeel's hand were giving her. He passed 100 miles in a blur.

"What if the cops catch you?"

"Don't worry about it."

"If you say so... I'm not complaining or anything but I don't want you to get a ticket because of me.

"I said don't worry about it."

"Okay..." Levy blushed, seeing the smile Gajeel sent her way. She felt good, even though, in a distant part of her mind, her consciousness was yelling at her for not being a professional by letting him flirt with her. They spent the ride in a comfortable silence, neither daring to retreat their hands away. Half an hour later, Gajeel parked in front of Levy's apartment building, finally releasing Levy's hand.

"So..." He started lamely, trying to end the awkward silence that was growing between them. "Can I make an appointment this Saturday?" He was looking anywhere but Levy's way.

"Sorry, this weekend in a no-go. I have some stuff to do..." Levy refused him politely, looking sheepishly at him.

"Oh... What stuff?" Gajeel was sure he was getting jealous, creating all sort of silly ideas in his head.

"Some... girl stuff... Sorry, call me next week, 'kay?" She smiled at him, hoping the dim light wasn't going to betray her reddened cheeks.

"Okay…" Levy turned to get out of the car, opening the door, when his hand stopped her. "Wait!... Uhm…" Levy whirled her head around, his red eyes taking her breath away. "Good night…" Gajeel felt his insides squirm as he felt her hand with his thumb.

"Good night, Gajeel. And thank you for the ride." Levy enjoyed the butterflies in her stomach as he made patterns on her hand.

"Anytime, Shorty." He smiled crookedly, looking at her for a long moment.

"Uhm… Can I have my hand back?" Gajeel noticed he was still holding onto her, releasing her and turning away to hide a blush, Levy suspected.

"Uh… Yeah, sorry…" He grunted something unintelligible as Levy opened the door and let herself out.

"Bye!" She waved energetically and sprinted for the door, Gajeel watching her intently as she unlocked the key and disappeared behind the massive door. Once he was sure Levy couldn't see him anymore, he slammed his head on the steering wheel.

"Smooth, really mother fucking smooth! Fucking idiot…" He started the car and went back to Natsu's, grunting to himself.

**TBC**

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******_How about it? Did you liked it? Loved it? Hated it? Please review, your opinion matters to me as a writer._**


	5. Chapter 5: Hovering about

_**Author's note:** Sorry to keep you guys waiting. I have somehalf chappies already witten, all I need to do is to find the connecting peices._

_**BlackLothus** , oh, by all means, do it! and, for the record, i think they both fell kinda at the same time lol_

_**lexie loves anime** , points for you, missy, for noticing the subtle hints. i'll be writing about that in the next chapters gihihi_

_**EmmyHippo** , why not? anyone can do it, why not you? just start writing and see how it turns out._

_**MakeItHayle** , I'm a curious person myself. here ya go!_

_**LumiSusi** , it's easy to picture it, right? maked me laugh everytime_

_So, there are some things in this chappie that are real, like my language skills and the Romanian part. Also, there are some of my deepest wishes here. The main one is for humanity to be restored. Do good in whatever you do, because doing good is the hardest thing ever, but it brings the most fulfillment. There's too much evil in this world, for it is so much easier to be done. So, please, bring back humanity and hope in everything you do. I try to do my best._

_**AGAIN, THANKYOUFORYOURINFINITEPATIENCE! **_

_All in all, thank you for all the patience and love and reviews and reading my fics... And **everything**! By the way, I'd love to see a review/comment in your native language! (Of course, please consider the writer, as well, since I only know 4 languages: Romanian, English, Spanish and Japanese, so add a translation, as well, if you guys happen to not be a speaker of those 4 languages)_

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**CHAPTER 5: Hovering about**

Gajeel couldn't really help himself. He smelled the lie, and he was curious. He felt he was getting too attached to the young woman, but he denied it. He lied to himself he was only watching out for her, so Saturday morning he went to her house and waited. 10 minutes later, the bluenette exited the building where she lived and went to the bus station. She waited a couple of minutes, listening to music, oblivious to everything around her. Gajeel started the engine once her bus stopped and off she went to wherever she had business. Gajeel pulled over when he saw Levy get off the bus and started walking again. _She's really unafraid of the big city... Silly shrimp... _After walking for about 20 minutes, she stopped, turned between two tall apartment blocks and bent over something.

Gajeel parked and strolled casually towards her, hiding behind a corner, listening intently. He couldn't hear much, but he did catch a male voice. His insides caught fire, feeling bubbling it up. He looked around the corner and saw Levy smiling warmly, extending her arm to help someone up. Once that male person got up, she tugged on him again, for encouragement he thought, and off they went. Gajeel bulged his eyes when he saw who she helped up.

It was a homeless man, who looked very stunned at the whole situation. Gajeel wanted to go and shake her to her sense, but decided to follow her some more and see what would happen next. He would keep himself close in case anything should happen. So he kept a safe distance and watched Levy intently.

Levy and the homeless man stopped at a second hand store, from where they got out with a couple of plastic bags. He kept following them to the washing machines, where they placed all the clothes in a washing machine and let it do its job, while they roamed around some more. The two entered a supermarket, where they lingered half an hour. They went back to get their now clean clothes, Levy leading the man to a public bathing area and waiting for him calmly to get cleaned, a haircut and a shave. The man threw his old rags and put on a second hand suit, looking much better than when Levy helped him up.

The man seemed very happy, and Levy practically glowed. Gajeel was getting more and more curious. What was Levy doing with a homeless guy? He limped slightly next to Levy as they headed, for Gajeel's surprise, to a labor force employment office. He waited patiently for the two, leaning on the wall with his arms crossed.

About an hour later, Gajeel straightened up when he saw Levy and her companion descend the stairs. He watched the beaming man shake Levy's hands vigorously, hugging her surprised form tightly. Gajeel merely gapped at the smiling bluenette, mesmerized by her selflessness and kindness. A knot formed in his throat, watching the man wiping some tears from his own eyes. He couldn't help his legs, walking shakily towards the two. Gajeel was close enough to hear what the man told Levy.

"Thank you, miss! You truly are an angel! No one has helped me in such a way! Thank you!" The man was downright sobbing in Levy's arms.

"It's been a pleasure. Just make sure you keep your new job and pass on the kindness with another." They were about to part ways, Levy smiling all the way as she turned around to leave for the bus stop. "Umf!" The bluenette bumped into a well toned male chest, the inertia making her wobble a couple of steps behind her. Rubbing her nose with her eyes closed, she bowed and apologized. "Oh, my gosh, I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there..."

"It's OK, shrimp, I should've made my presence known." Gajeel watched Levy intently as she opened her eyes and stared incredulous at him.

"G... Gajeel! Wh... What are you doing here?" Levy's cheeks burst instantly, staring at the raven haired man.

"I was... out for a walk... It's such a nice day, after all..." Gajeel scratched the back of his head, hoping Levy wouldn't catch him lying. "My apologies, I didn't know you were on a date." Levy caught his not so subtle hint, and quickly turned to the man behind her.

"Oh, sorry... Gajeel, this is John. He's... a friend." Levy smiled warmly at the homeless man as he shook hands with Gajeel.

"We've actually just met, we're not on a date. She helped me a lot today. She truly is an angel sent from God! Oh, praise Him!" The man gave her another tight hug, straining to keep his emotions in check. Noticing Gajeel's confused look, the man continued. "She dressed me, helped me get a shave and even talked to some people to get me a job! I've been homeless for the past five years and... no one... no one has ever done something like this..." By now, the man was crying openly, Levy patting him awkwardly on the back. She glanced sheepishly at Gajeel, who was merely staring at the two, not believing his ears.

The man eventually was on his way, leaving Gajeel and Levy by themselves.

"So… You do this often?" Gajeel asked, ending the growing silence between them. When Levy looked at him confused, he continued, leading her to his car. "Helping people in need."

"Oh…" She blushed heavily, Gajeel staring dumbstruck at her. _Cute…_ "Uhm… Not as often as I'd like… My finances are a little low… But I try doing this at least once a month. When I'm not saving money for my mom, that is." Gajeel was silently contemplating her. "I'm not sure why I'm telling you this… You weren't supposed to see…" Levy felt a knot in her throat choking her words.

"Why not? It's an amazing thing you do! This world needs more people like you!" Gajeel burned his red eyes into her brown ones, activating another blush. "You know what? I have a few friends in the media, I'll give them a call and tell…"

"What? NO! P… Please! No media!" Levy looked at him desperately, holding onto his arm.

"Why not? People need hope. And what you do can be an eye opener and an inspiration to many!"

"I don't want the attention. Please?" Levy looked up at him, unconsciously giving him the full puppy eye attack. Gajeel gulped, feeling his throat go dry. He lowered his phone and placed it in his pocket, grabbing a hold on her hand.

"Fine… You can stop pouting now." He twined their fingers together when Levy smiled relieved, the bluenette looking down to their joined hands with a blush. She looked up at him again, realizing Gajeel was stroking her hand with his thumb, and quickly pulled her hand away, turning her reddened face away from his disappointed look.

"Uhm… Thank you… So… I should go home… Have a good day." She turned to wave at Gajeel, but his voice stopped her.

"Wait! Uhm… Do you have plans… for today?" He scratched the back of his neck, feeling his ears warm up.

"The usual Saturday business. Cleaning, cooking, laundry."

"I was wondering if… you'd like to join me… for a drink or something…" Levy's insides started squirming pleasantly, a little voice in the back of her head whispering softly _He likes you…_. _Nah… Impossible._

"I don't know…" She wrinkled her nose a little, but Gajeel insisted.

"Please?" He looked at her expectantly without breathing. After a moment of pondering, Levy answered.

"Okay…" The genuine smile Gajeel gave her almost knocked her off her feet. The raven haired man held the door open for her and slid over the hood of his car instead of going around it to the driver's side. "Any likings?"

"Not really… I don't really go out much…"

"Okay, then. I know a place. Buckle up." Gajeel started the car and off they went. When he stopped the car, Levy was surprised to see a simple looking diner. "They have the best ice-cream in town. And, since it's so hot today…" He answered her internal questioning as they approached the door, Gajeel quickly placing his fingers on the door before Levy's hand reached it. It opened with a soft cling.

"Ah! Gajeel! Welcome back!" A slender man welcomed them warmly. "And I see you brought a lady-friend, too! It's been a while since I've seen you with a…"

"Shut up!" Gajeel hurried to place a hand over the man's mouth, preventing him to speak.

"Gajeel! Holy shit, man!" A blonde man slapped him on the back hard enough to make him wince and release the one who greeted them. "He finally brings home a girl!" The blonde man hurried to Levy's shocked form, hugging her tightly. "Nice to meet you! I'm Sting Eucliffe."

"Rogue." The slender man offered his hand, Levy shaking it confused.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Levy."

"Oooh, such a lovely name! And a lovely face! Gajeel, you bastard, where do you find them?"

"I'm his massage therapist." Levy answered shyly, the two men bulging their eyes.

"Maybe we should go someplace else." Gajeel grabbed Levy's arm and turned for the door, when the man named Rogue stopped them.

"Come on, man, don't be like that! Have a seat. You know we missed ya." Gajeel glared at his warm smile, sighing.

"Fine…" He grumbled, Levy noticing he was actually embarrassed. She chuckled softly as Gajeel pulled the chair for her like a gentleman.

"What will it be, lovely Levy?" Sting winked at the bluenette, making her blush.

"Uhm, forest fruits, chocolate and vanilla."

"She's got great taste!" Rogue came behind her, beaming, Gajeel face-palming himself with a groan.

"You should chill, we're gonna be on our best behavior. Cross my heart." Sting winked at the bluenette again, enjoying the death-glare Gajeel sent his way. The two men disappeared behind a double door, leaving the two alone.

"Who are they?" Levy asked amused.

"Just a couple of idiots I grew up with…"

"Now _that_ is an understatement. He practically raised us after our parents dissap…" Gajeel silenced he blonde man with a glare. "Sorry… He's like a big brother to us." Sting quickly placed two bowl of ice-cream on the table and retreated himself.

"What was that all about?" Levy scooped some ice-cream and popped it into her mouth, the wonderful flavors exploding on her tongue.

"Nothing… Well, was I right or what?" Gajeel pointed to her ice-cream.

"It's pretty good, yeah."

"So…" He started lamely, Levy lifting her eyes to look at him. "Tell me more about yourself." Levy snorted.

"There's nothing to tell really. I came here to work."

"Where are you from?" He pushed.

"Romania. Why?" Gajeel gapped at her.

"Wait. You're not a native?"

"Nope."

"I could've sworn… How… You don't even have an accent." He started stuttering, looking impressed at her.

"I'm gonna take that as a compliment." She giggled slightly, popping another spoonful of ice-cream. "If you must know, I can speak three languages part from my native one."

"Hooo…?" Just as he was about to ask about her language skills, a white haired girl appeared from behind the twin doors, placing two glasses of water on their table. Levy eyed her nametag, which wrote 'Yukino', smiling slightly.

"Doumo arigatou." Yukino looked at her amazed and started conversing with Levy in Japanese, Gajeel gapping at her. Once the flustered girl took her leave, the raven haired man captured her attention once more.

"So English and Japanese. What's the third one?"

"Spanish." Levy grinned at him.

"You're amazing, you know that?" Gajeel bore his red eyes into hers, activating another blush.

"Thanks…" She said in a small voice, playing with her fingers. Soon after, Sting and Rogue almost blasted through the doors, grabbing a couple of chairs and sitting at their table. They spent their time together, laughing and having a good time. Levy didn't even feel the passing of time, noticing she spent more than half a day with Gajeel and his company and the day was growing darker by the minute. When the clock struck six, Yukino left the small diner, leaving the four by themselves. Half an hour later, Gajeel excused himself, driving Levy home.

"Thank you for today, Gajeel. It was amazing."

"Anytime, shorty." He smiled warmly at her, the butterflies in her stomach flying erratically. "Well… This is you." He said with a hint of disappointment when he reached the apartment building where Levy lived.

"This is me, indeed. Thanks again. Have a good night." Levy opened the door quickly, not waiting for Gajeel to do what his eyes yearned for. So, she left him with his hand in the air before he had a chance of stopping her and let himself go with the flow.

"When the fuck did I become such a pussy?" Gajeel was starting to admit he had feelings for the blue haired girl, but he found himself unable to utter a word about it. He drove away, thinking hard.

**TBC**

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******_How about it? Did you liked it? Loved it? Hated it? Please review, your opinion matters to me as a writer._**


	6. Chapter 6: A decade older

_**Author's note:** I know I was fast with this chappie, as I was saying, I have some stuff already written, just gotta find the connecting pieces._

_**EmmyHippo** , they had to be a part of the story, since they are like brothers and rather aquainted with Natsu and Gajeel in the manga_

_**lexie loves anime** , oh, how I wish I could move from here... I hate Bucuresti... It's a scum magnet. Like, seriously, all the idiots come here to brag (I'm not sure what are they bragging about...) The only good part of this city is the beautiful parks. Thank you for the best wishes, back at ya, guuurl! ~W^ And I know, there are so many homeless people out there... as long as the police is too corrupt to finish the ones controling the homeless people and the beggars, we'll keep witnessing such saddening things each day..._

_**Jessica** , I plan to continue all of my unfinished fics, don't worry._

_**MakeItHayle** , nope, I'm not a native in English. I'm a Romanian and, even though we have some bad fame out there, I'm still proud to be one. Because I know the real value of true Romanians. And it's not how media shows us. But you are most welcomed to come visit and see for yourself, and feel the warmth that overflows. _

_Other than that, the 10-year-older part is totally true. My hubby was born in 1978 and I was born in 1987 (coincidence? I think not). I don't believe in coincidences anymore, since I'm born on October 3rd, just like his mother... And, on top of that, my father-in-law is born on the 3rd... of January. lots of threes in this family, hmm... _

_I love beer (don't misunderstand, please, I'm not a heavy drinker) But, once a week, I treat myself with some bitter-sweet liquid. _

_When I met my husband-to-be, I was 19. And so inexperienced... since I've never had a boyfriend before him (partly because I scared the crap out of them because I can fight a little bit) He was the one who snatched my first kiss. (and he was my first, if you catch my drift ~W^ ) But he was so confused by the age difference between us... it took a while for him to confess his feelings for me (and I was too blind to see the signs...) Still, he complimented me more than often, and it felt very genuine. I've learned now that he doesn't compliment people very often. And that's what makes him more special._

_I wish you all to find your true loves, just like I found mine._

_**AGAIN, THANKYOUFORYOURINFINITEPATIENCE! **_

_All in all, thank you for all the patience and love and reviews and reading my fics... And **everything**! By the way, I'd love to see a review/comment in your native language! (Of course, please consider the writer, as well, since I only know 4 languages: Romanian, English, Spanish and Japanese, so add a translation, as well, if you guys happen to not be a speaker of those 4 languages)_

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**CHAPTER 6: A decade older**

Levy was sure she was crushing hard on the raven haired man. She tried to fight it, but to no avail. Lucy warned her at one point about him, that he was older than his looks, but she never expected him to be a decade older than herself. That's when she started fighting the growing feelings for him. And Gajeel didn't help her inner torment, either, since he texted her more than often and chatted with her on a daily basis.

One night, just like any other night, Levy was the last to leave from work, closing the salon with the headphones on. She was oblivious to everything, even to the five guys that were stalking her quietly. Once she made sure everything was locked, she turned and walked away, without glancing behind her. She was passing a darkened street between two tall buildings, when a hand tangled itself in her hair and yanked her in the shades, a sharp yelp escaping her lips.

* * *

Gajeel stopped his car in from of "Salon Minerva", realizing with disappointment everything was closed.

"Shit…" He got out of the car and went to inspect the lock better, when a familiar voice screamed from somewhere close. He looked around him, trying to pinpoint her voice, a couple of dark laughters guiding a frantic Gajeel to the darkened street where five guys pinned Levy on the wall, one of the thugs holding a knife on her neck.

"LEVY!" He yelled angry, seeing red. The five men turned their heads in unison, giving Levy a moment to act. She quickly disarmed the man that was holding the knife, twisting his hand painfully and kicking him in the shins to make him kneel down. The other four guys turned back at Levy, trying to prevent her escaping, while Gajeel sprang forward, running as fast as he could to save the bluenette.

Before he even got there, Levy was already breaking bones and guillotine choking one of the four guys. Gajeel stopped mid-track seeing the blank expression in her eyes as she protected herself, throwing a man in a dumpster and punching another's nuts before they could even make a move.

"Damn…" Gajeel exhaled impressed, knocking two guys out while gapping at the fighting bluenette. Once the fight was over and a couple of guys scrambled away in fear, Gajeel pulled her back from her concentration. "Levy, are you okay?" She snapped her head his way with the death glare still plastered on her face, a wave of relief rolling over her when she noticed Gajeel. Once the adrenaline subsided, her hands started shaking and she started panting fast. Gajeel hurried to her, taking Levy in his arms and stroking her head.

"Hey, it's OK, you're OK now… Shh…" Tears started rolling down her cheeks, grabbing a fistful of Gajeel's shirt. "The bad guys are gone, you're safe." Levy knew that, but she couldn't stop crying or shivering. Gajeel held her in his arms, guiding them back to his car. "Don't panic, this is a normal reaction. You're in shock." He answered her internal questions, his deep voice calming her slightly. He opened the door for her and helped the bluenette get in the car, hurrying to his side and starting the engine. He glanced her way, noticing she was still shivering, and placed a comforting hand over hers. It was cold, even though the weather was pretty warm.

He drove to his place, since it was closer to her work place. Once they were inside his apartment, Levy jumped in his arms again, sobbing heavily.

"Th… thank you… I was s… so scared for a moment… That guy was holding a knife to my neck… and I froze… I didn't know what to do… But then, you came!" She cried heavily, holding onto him for dear life.

"You did good, hon, you did good." He stroked her hair, leading her to the couch, where he took a seat, cradling her on his lap and letting her calm down. Sure enough, a few minutes later, Levy's shivering calmed down, sniffing away her last tears. "Better?" He asked softly once she looked up.

"Yeah… Thanks… and sorry."

"Let me get you something. I bet you're hungry now." Levy looked puzzled at him, feeling her stomach rumble.

"You're right, I am hungry." She said with surprise.

"It's from the adrenaline rush. You need to rise the sugar level in your blood, and fast." The girl followed him quietly to the kitchen, Lily coiling lazily around her feet before jumping in her arms. Gajeel glanced to his cat, feeling a bit jealous he wasn't the core of his attention anymore. He quickly prepared something for the starving girl, shoving the plate under her nose. "Dig in." Levy smiled as a _thank_-_you_, eating fast. After a few bites, she looked at her still-trembling hand, Gajeel quickly grabbing a hold on it and twisting their fingers together. "I didn't know you could fight." Gajeel tried to suppress his amazement, Levy not even noticing he was holding her hand. She was busy chowing down.

"I did some aikido back home. I haven't practiced for a while, though. I didn't even know I had it in me…" She stopped suddenly, swallowing the choking lump that threatened to squeeze the air from her lungs. "Thank you… Really… If it wasn't for you, I'd…" Her eyes filled again when she glanced at Gajeel, but quickly looked away. He merely took the bluenette in his arms again, stroking her hair. Once she calmed down again, he smiled to her and raised himself from his seat.

"Do you want a beer or something?" Gajeel walked around the kitchen, opening the fridge and grabbing a beer.

"Yeah, sure." He threw it to her, Levy catching it with ease. "Cheers." She touched her bottle with his and took a large swig, moaning. "Oh, wow... I never realized how much I missed beer." Gajeel raised an eyebrow.

"Missed it?"

"Yeah... People keep asking for my ID whenever I go shopping... I mean, come on! Do I really look 19?" Gajeel choked on his beer, coughing loudly.

"Wait... You're 19?" Levy nodded shyly. _Shit... she's under aged..._ "I could've sworn you're at least 25... 19? Really?"

"Yeah... Back home we become adults at the age of 18. I really can't see what the problem is... I don't look 19, people tell me I sure as hell don't act or think like a 19 year old chick... So yeah... despite that, they still ask for my ID... and I can't get any beer till I'm 21... so thanks!" Levy took another swig and moaned again.

"Well... shit..."

"What's wrong?" She looked puzzled at him, grabbing her plate and heading for the sink to wash it.

"I'm 29…" Gajeel looked hurt at her, but Levy merely looked confused at him.

"So?" She shrugged, looking intently at him.

"Nothing, shrimp... It's just a phase of mine... don't worry your pretty little blue head." Levy looked unconvinced at him, but let him be, feeling much better after eating and tasting beer for the first time in a very long time.

"I should go home…" Levy glanced at the clock, noticing it was well past midnight. Gajeel merely motioned to grab his keys, avoiding Levy's questioning eyes. "I didn't mention anything about you driving me home, Gajeel. I'll grab a cab." She slide her phone open, dialing a number, but Gajeel grabbed her phone and shoved it in his own pocket.

"_I'm_ driving you home, shrimp." He didn't look at her, heading for the door. Levy blushed slightly, following him silently. He held the door open for her, waiting for the short girl to get in his car, hurrying to his side when she was inside. "Are you still cold?"

"I'm good, thanks." Gajeel didn't utter a word after this, glancing from time to time to his right since Levy didn't seem to mind the silence between them. He parked in front of her place swiftly after a while, still not looking at her. "I should start paying for my share of gas, if you keep this up." Levy grinned, unbuckling her seatbelt.

"It's no problem, shrimp." Gajeel finally looked at her, Levy noticing the torment in his eyes.

"Why do you call me that?"

"What? 'Shrimp'? It's because I'm a decade older than you, _shrimp_." He grinned, enjoying Levy's pout. "Have a good night."

"You too. And thanks again." The bluenette smiled warmly at him, oblivious to his long stare after she turned and opened the door, heading for her apartment. Once she was inside the tall building, Gajeel turned his eyes on the road, driving himself home with a disgusted feeling in the pit of the stomach.

He threw the keys in a bowl after locking the door to his home, kicking his snickers off and heading for his bedroom. He tangled his hands in his black hair, his frustration taking over and pulling on his black spikes with a growl.

"Fucking idiot! Shitshitshit!" He threw himself on his bed, hearing the soft paws of his cat walking calmly towards the entrance.

"Lily, come here." He waited for the black cat to come and join him in bed, but Lily sat comfortably in front of the door, waiting patiently. "Traitor..." He mumbled and turned away, thinking about Levy." Yeah... I miss her too..." With these last words, he closed his eyes and drifted to sleep.

**TBC**

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******_How about it? Did you liked it? Loved it? Hated it? Please review, your opinion matters to me as a writer._**


	7. Chapter 7: Gift

_**Author's note:** The reiki part is true. I know it's hard to believe, but I do have an unrefined gift. Sometimes I feel what my clients try to suppress, because those feelings are stronger than others. I freaked many people out with the fact that I can be very empathic and I can sometimes see spirits. My parents-in-law were some of the freaked out ones, unfortunately… Still, they are good people who accepted my weird gift. Hubby was one of the first (except my brother and mom) who looked at me like I wasn't a freak. It was a very nice feeling, after many disappointments._

_I had to kinda keep with Mashima's version, the Gajeel-Levy huge fight. Usually a big fight can either make your feelings stronger, or break everything apart. I plan to make it stronger XD_

_**EmmyHippo **, my thoughts exactly! How can you carry so many books and NOT be strong? I was like that in highschool, carrying my 200+ drawings to school and back home (part from my school books and notebooks). Result? Compared to normal girls, hubby sais my biceps scare him lol_

_**MakeItHayle** , my mom cared (and still does) deeply for grammar, and made me love it. Frankly, I was better at grammar than literature. Until recent years (6 or 7) I hated reading. Really. Whatever they made us read in school sucked balls. They were so boring I decided to read Shakespeare in old English when I was 15. Loved him, but not what they made us read in school. Figures... So, coming back to your review, basically Romanian language is read-as-you-write language, compared to English, which has different pronounciation rules. And we have to learn a word to write it, then memorize its pronounciation (I hope this makes sense, I have no talent for teaching...) As for the review, I don't mind it one bit! And to explain why I made Gajeel freak out about the age difference, my hubby was really freaked out when he heard I was 10 years younger than him. His principles are a bit higher, since he lived a while in a different era than me. He didn't know how my mom would react if (and when) we became romatically involved, his parents were kinda crazy, shouting I was way to young for him andwhat would the neighbors think? So it took a couple of months to confess his feelings for me. I, for one, never in a million years thought someone older would find me likeable, so I tried to dismiss my own feelings as a fleeting crush. But the rest is history. We got together, we got married, started a family. I'm more than happy. And I never feel those 10 years between us. (sorry for the long answer)  
_

_**Lexie ad the anime** , never been there, but I should come and visit :P  
_

_**kamicoolo's rose** , THANK YOU!_

_Thank you for your infinite patience, my Misty-es!~~~_

* * *

**CHAPTER 7: GIFT**

"Listen..." Natsu played with his beer, trying to find a way to tell him about Levy's 'intuition'. "Levy's... special... She can say some pretty weird stuff from time to time. Just don't get weird on her, okay? She's a great girl." Gajeel looked puzzled at his step brother as he was placing the dishes into the washer.

"I'm not following..."

"It's... just a heads-up. Once she... 'sees' something, don't get scared, okay?" Natsu fidgeted with his drink, not looking Gajeel's way.

"Whatever..." The raven haired man shrugged him off and went to the living to choose a movie after another family dinner. Wendy made sure there was plenty of popcorn, getting ready for the movie. As soon as the DVD started, the whole conversation was forgotten.

* * *

A couple of days later, Gajeel was enjoying Levy's 'magic' on his back, trying to suppress his growing feelings for her. And she didn't help him, either. She was either oblivious to her charms or tried her best to keep him interested. Or Gajeel was noticing how her clothes complimented her curves more than usual. His internal questioning was interrupted when Levy yawned heavily as she worked on Gajeel's back.

"Didn't get enough sleep last night?" He cracked an eye open to look at the yawning bluenette.

"No, it's not tiredness. I take negative energy from you and free it from my body by yawning. There are three ways to free your body of negative energy. Yawning (that's me), sneezing (without reason) or crying." Levy smiled warmly as Gajeel looked puzzled at her.

"Well I don't know what you do with your hands, but I feel better when you're done."

"It's called reiki. I've been practicing it for a while now." Levy noticed his confusion and continued. "I work with divine energy to cleanse and cure the physical and energetical body. Whenever the energy flow is blocked by something, like bad thoughts or energetical attack, the physical body experiences them, as well. Like headaches, sickness, queasiness and stuff like that. And I can use divine energy to cure such things."

"Really? Is that the hotness in your hands?"

"Yep."

"Hmm... Interesting." He closed his eyes again, concentrating on the girl's hands. Once she was finished and Gajeel turned, Levy placed her hands an inch above his skin, feeling the energy flow. Her eyebrow twitched when she felt a heaviness choke her when she reached his heart.

"Nee... I know we barely know each other, but I feel it's my duty to tell you..." Gajeel raised an eyebrow and looked puzzled. "I feel... how should I put it... It's like your heart is torn in two... and a barrier is between the two parts... On one side, it's this... woman..." Levy closed her eyes to concentrate on the images that were flowing inside her mind and placed her palm on Gajeel's chest, making him blush. "Curly, brownish, long hair..." Gajeel twitched, staring incredulous at the bluenette.

_What? Did she see a photo...? No... it can't be... I threw them all... Unless she looked in my PC... But I never saw her go through it..._

"...and on the other side..." Levy continued oblivious to Gajeel's inside torment. "...it's someone who left a deep wound inside... it's hard to put into words what I feel from you... But I'm certain it was a man that you cared for and... made something that ripped a part of your heart..." At this point, Gajeel got up abruptly, staring at her without a word.

"Who told you...?" Gajeel whispered with his voice trembling.

"What?"

"Who told you?" Levy winced from his harsh tone.

"No one to..."

"DON'T LIE TO ME!" Gajeel clenched his fists, taking a menacing step towards the now frightened girl.

"Gajeel..."

"Did you check up on me?

"What? No!"

"Then _HOW_ do you know?" He was getting angry now.

"I just do. No one told me about it and I didn't check up on you!"

"Get the fuck out of my house!" Gajeel spat at her, seeing her flinch from his tone.

"Gajeel..."

"NOW!" Levy gasped, seeing his red eyes blazing. She suddenly got scared, a cold feeling prickling her skin.

"Okay... I'm sorry if I bothered you..." She grabbed her stuff, trying to hold back her tears, and headed for the door. Once she closed the door, hot tears rolled heavily on her cheeks. It was times like these she hated her 'gift'.

* * *

Later that day loud knocking startled Gajeel late in the evening. Someone was pounding hard on the door as he hurried to open and bitch slap whoever was making such a ruckus. He yanked the door open and got ready to strike, when he stopped.

"What the hell are you doin' here, flame br..." **Slap**. Natsu slapped him on the head hard. "What THE _FUCK_, MAN?"

"You goddamn _idiot_!" Natsu pushed him inside and grabbed him by the collar, closing the door with his foot. "Didn't I give you a heads up? You fucking moron! What did you do? What did you say to her, huh?"

"What are you talking about, idiot? Get the fuck off me!"

"I'm talking about Levy! I know you're thick, but you crossed the line, dumbass!"

"She knew about my old man and Deanna, okay? She's suspicious!"

"I told you she's special! I did a background check on her and she is who she said she is! Do you realize what you did to her, you fucking retard?" Natsu released him with too much force and stomped his way to the kitchen, going straight to the fridge to grab a beer.

"No one is that gifted, idiot! She must be working for someone!"

"Are seriously that stupid? Do you know what connections I have? I know who she fucking played with when she was in kindergarten! I even know when she started having this gift! Son of a bitch!" Natsu punched the table, spilling some beer on the floor.

"Hey! Watch the furniture!"

"You're gonna call her right now and apologize, or so help me, Gajeel, I'll wipe the floor with you!"

"Hah! I'd love to see you try..." Natsu was by Gajeel's side in an instant, wiping the smug smile off his face when Natsu grabbed him by the neck, guillotine choking him.

"I'm not joking! Call her _RIGHT_ now and apologize!"

"Okay! Okay! Let go, idiot!" Natsu released his grip and grabbed Gajeel's phone from the counter, shoving it under his nose. The raven haired man glared a long moment at his step brother before grabbing his phone and touching the screen on Levy's name.

"See? I'm calling!" Gajeel showed Natsu his phone screen. Once Gajeel placed it on his ear, Natsu started drumming his fingers impatiently on the counter. "Would you stop that? She's not answering!" Natsu shoved his hand in his pocket, moved his finger over his phone and handed Gajeel his phone, placing it on his ear once he saw Levy's name and that it was ringing. His face lit up once he heard the soft _Hello?_ when Levy answered. "Hey, Levy... It's me, Gajeel... No, no, wait, don't!... hang up... There, happy? She hung up. She doesn't wanna talk to me."

"Of course she doesn't wanna talk to you, idiot! Gimme!" Natsu yanked the phone from Gajeel's hand and dialed again. Levy answered with a bored voice. "Levy, don't hang up, it's Natsu. Yeah, I'm at his place. Listen, he wants to apologize, can you hear him out?" He waited as Levy spoke, Gajeel letting Natsu's words sink in. _Shit... What have I done?_ "I see... No, no, I understand. I'll tell him. Okay. Sorry if I bothered you. Have a good night, Lev."

"What did she say?" Gajeel asked impatiently when Natsu didn't speak.

"If you really wanna apologize, she's gonna hear you out. But if you truly feel the way you did when you two had the chat, it's best if she stays away from you. You fucking idiot! What the fuck did you say to her to scare her like that?" Gajeel looked away in shame, recalling the whole scene.

"I... told her to get the fuck out... Well, I mostly yelled at her..." His insides squirmed uncomfortably, like he was about to hurl.

"Jesus freaking Christ, Gajeel! You know what? You deserve to feel like you do right now! Shit!" Natsu slammed his palm on the counter, quivering.

"I'm gonna go see her tomorrow, apologize…" Gajeel started with a thoughtful voice.

"You should think about if you _feel_ like apologizing. She'll know if you're just saying stuff to make her feel better." Natsu grabbed a chair, making himself comfortable.

"It's just… I mean… Fuck! I'm mind blown! How could she know…"

"What did she say?" Natsu asked him with kindness.

"She said she felt like my heart was torn in two… On one side was Deanna… She freaking described her! And I made sure to throw all her pictures, so she couldn't have known _how_ she freaking looked! And then, she went on, sayin' stuff like 'a man who ripped a part of your heart'. How? _How_ could she know about that fucking bastard?" Gajeel was getting angry again.

"You got off easy." Natsu snorted. "You should've been there when she told me stuff. I was so freaked out I hired a detective to follow her around for two months." Natsu saw Gajeel's questioning gaze and continued. "Of course, she mentioned dad, but that wasn't so weird. I was having some weird nightmares at the time. I even took pills to stop them, but nothing worked. And here comes Levy along and does that reiki stuff on me and starts crying all of a sudden, asking me how I can sleep with all those horrible images in my head. I didn't even get a chance to see a shrink. Never told a soul about them. Yet she… plucked them out of my head just like that!" He snapped his fingers to emphasize the short moment. "After she left, I slept like a baby. No more nightmares. Ever since she came along…" Gajeel suppressed a shudder. "Make up with her, she's truly a good person. And a great company, too."

"I know…" Gajeel said, bitterly. "I… I'll think about it… Close the door when you leave, or spend the night here, whatever… I'm crashing, night!" Gajeel got up from his chair and headed for his bedroom, throwing himself on the bed thoughtfully. A while later, he heard the front door close as Natsu left him alone with his thoughts.

**TBC**

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******_How about it? Did you liked it? Loved it? Hated it? Please review, your opinion matters to me as a writer._**


	8. Chapter 8: Making ammends

_**Author's note:** For all of you guys asking if what I wrote in **Chapter 7** is true, I started with Reiki Usui and I reached the final stage before Master, Shamballa. Also, I continued with Munay-ki (shamanism) and I did 3 out of 9 steps so far. As a massage therapist, the work with divine energy is essential, both for the patient (for healing) and for me (for protection). Also, between the ages 16 and 18 I started seeing energetical stuff, like spirits, energy waves or auras (sometimes). Don't get me wrong, the spirit stuff is not like in the movies, like actively seeing them and speaking with them (but, I'm sure there are people with such powerful gifts), but if there's something present in the room, I get flashes. _

_**Sketcher1994** , thank you for all your reviews! and I'm really glad you enjoy my works so much!_

_**BlackLothus** , I know the fear. Lucky me I had my mom to help me out. She has it, too, and my brother (aparently it was something we both got it from mom). When I started seeing non-physical things, it was horrible. I couldn't sleep because of all the whispering and other weird noises, if I opened my eyes I would see smoky-foggy things... It was a difficult time. And it was hard for me to open up and tell my mom about it, because I thought she wouldn't believe me. And then, she sais 'oh, no worries, I have it, too, and your big brother'. Mindblown much? She told me the easiest way to get over my fears was to try to reach them, ask them if they need anything, help, guidance. And it helped. I started feeling their 'intentions' and I found out they weren't there to scare or hurt me. They were just lost and saw my light and followed it. As for your own light, everything happens for a reason. And it's not a 'no big deal'. You have a gift, as well. And I believe that, if you truly want to be on a lighted path such as myself, the Divinity will send you people who will help you with it. It happened for me as well. _

_**Robin-rose-sama** , he will make it better. It is a Gajeel x Levy fic, right? *wink wink*_

_**crystalroes12** , yep, I'm a walking, talking abnormal human being ^_^ And thank you for liking my works!_

_**AGAIN, THANKYOUFORYOURINFINITEPATIENCE! **_

_All in all, thank you for all the patience and love and reviews and reading my fics... And **everything**! By the way, I'd love to see a review/comment in your native language! (Of course, please consider the writer, as well, since I only know 4 languages: Romanian, English, Spanish and Japanese, so add a translation, as well, if you guys happen to not be a speaker of those 4 languages)_

* * *

**CHAPTER 8:**

A few days passed since the little incident, Levy continuing her daily routine. Wake up, take a shower, eat something, spend some time inside her now empty apartment and go to work. Except for the days when Natsu would call her for his session. The dark haired man was never mentioned in front of her after Natsu saw how down Levy was. When he asked what was wrong, she'd smile and say everything was just perfect. But she wasn't perfect, and Natsu noticed it. So he decided to make Gajeel a taboo subject until his idiot of a brother would make things right.

As any other night, Levy was the last to leave from work, closing everything and securing the salon. Just as she checked the railing and turned to leave, a voice startled her.

"Yo." Levy spun around to see if there was an attacker, only to gap at the person behind her.

"Gajeel! What are you doing here?" Levy watched him as he leaned on his Mustang.

"Out for a night ride." Gajeel slapped himself internally for such a silly answer.

"Oh... Well, then, have a good night." Levy smiled after a few moments of awkward silence.

"Wait!" Gajeel moved from his car, heading for the bluenette. "Could we... talk?" Levy looked surprised at him, not expecting to ever see him again after the way he reacted a week earlier.

"Uhm... Is that such a good idea?"

"Well... I dunno... But I wanna apologize." Levy watched him intently, searching for some sign of rejection or falsity, but she found none. "Hear me out. Please?" He looked intently at her, Levy seeing his fear of rejection.

"Okay..." A smile spread on Gajeel's face, opening the door for her and waiting for Levy to get in the car.

"Did you eat?" He asked once he was inside, placing the key in the ignition.

"Not yet. I was planning to go home and get some dinner."

"Do you mind if we... go get something?" Levy looked shocked at him, not knowing how to react or what to answer, remembering she didn't have too much money to spend until her next pay. "My treat." Gajeel answered her internal torment, winking at her.

"Uhm... okay..." She answered shyly after buckling up. She was surprised to see the wide smile that spread on Gajeel's face after she accepted his invitation.

"Wanna feel it purr again?" Gajeel asked after a few minutes of riding without a word.

"I'm good, thanks." Levy looked ahead, not daring to glance his way and see the disappointed look on his face. She twined her fingers together, placing them on her lap. Gajeel didn't say anything, but he pursed his lips after he looked at her. _She's still upset..._ He turned the radio on just to end the growing pressure between them.

A few minutes later, Gajeel parked in a drive-in, hurrying to get out of the car to open the door for Levy, but she already beat him to it. Levy had a blank face, part from the tiredness, part from her trying to keep her grudge on the pierced man. She waited for him in the middle of the parking lot, Gajeel speeding up to match her pace. Once they were close enough to the door, Gajeel's hand shot out before Levy's and opened the door for her, making her blush.

"Thanks..." She answered, averting his eyes. The tall man led her to a more private table, being greeted by a cheery waitress.

"Good evening! Can I take your order?"

"Just a veggie burger and some fries, please." Levy answered in a small voice. Gajeel was next to order, the waitress leaving them be after she wrote down the order. A moment later, the waitress placed two glasses of water on their table and let them be. Levy was looking at her glass intently, not daring to say a word. Gajeel was unsure how to begin his apology.

"Uhm..." He started, Levy raising her eyes to look at him. "So... How you've been...?" He slapped himself internally for his stupid question.

"Nothing special... Mostly work."

"Oh... Did you receive the flowers?" Gajeel sipped his water slowly.

"Th... those were from you?" Levy felt her stomach drop.

"Yeah."

"I... I didn't know... I'm sorry, I gave them away cuz I don't like flowers..." Levy could see the hurt expression from Gajeel's face.

"I didn't know you don't like flowers. Cuz I know all girls like flowers..."

"Not me. I hate seeing them wilt and die in a vase. I like 'em in a pot or a garden."

"Duly noted." He sipped some more water thoughtfully. "How's Blondie doin'? Is that flame brain treating her right?" Gajeel felt stupid. She was usually so easy to talk to, but the coldness he felt from her made him lose his words.

"Yeah, she's really happy. They're even talking about marriage. I'm happy for her." She said in a neutral voice, looking at her glass.

"Please, stop your excitement, it's killing me." Gajeel snickered sarcastically in an attempt to ease the tension, but all was in vain. Levy kept her poker face, not looking at him. "I could've sworn it sounded a little funny. I mean, in my head I was fucking hilario..."

"Get to the point, Gajeel, I don't have all day." Levy cut him before he could finish his sentence, Gajeel twitching from her harsh tone.

"You're right, I'm just stallin'..." He watched her carefully for a long moment, noticing the dark shadows under her eyes and her pale cheeks. "I've tried calling you..."

"I think you made it clear you didn't wanna talk to me anymore."

"Well, if you'd have answered the phone, you would've found out that I'm sorry for my outburst and I wanted to apologize. No! Shove it! I'm doing the talking now!" Levy opened her mouth to say something, but Gajeel cut her. He was starting to feel a little angry. "Natsu... 'warned' me about you before... _it_ happened, but I didn't listen. I'm a guy that likes to keep his private things _very_ private, and you describing my ex-wife was... a bit scary, to tell you the truth." Gajeel inhaled deeply and continued, Levy listening intently. "I've worked with dangerous people and I know I made a ton of enemies, so I assumed the worst, because it's all I know."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence..." Levy said in a small voice, but Gajeel was oblivious, so he kept pouring his heart out.

"The other thing you... saw... Even less people know about that. My father disappeared without a trace together with Natsu and Wendy's fathers. We're siblings from out mother's side. So, you, a total stranger - no offence - come waltzing in and start mentioning these two very private stories from my life... I freaked out, okay? I still am, to tell you the truth, and mind blown, and torn, all at the same time. And it feels horrible. But I still wanna make amends, because you're the most selfless, caring, warm person I've ever met. I... cherish your company because you have a vast knowledge of everything and I never grow tired of chatting with you. And I totally miss your hands after almost two weeks..." He ended his monologue with a smile, hoping Levy wouldn't hear his heart beating fast. He waited expectantly a long moment before the bluenette uttered a word.

"Apology accepted." He exhaled heavily, a smile spreading on his face.

"So, friends again?"

"...I don't know..." Gajeel's face dropped. "I'm trying to figure out some stuff... I have some contradictory feelings... which aren't making things easier... I'm confused... and..." Levy bit her tongue so she wouldn't reveal her feelings for him. After all, why would such a nice guy look at her? Especially since she was almost 10 years younger than him. And, from her point of view, not hot enough for such a good looking man.

"I don't wanna lose what we have..." Levy snorted.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but you kinda threw it all away."

"Well, I'm willing to get it back!" Gajeel burned his red eyes into her surprised ones, the waitress ending the awkward staring contest when she came to bring their order. "Dig in." He bit off a French fried potato, watching her intently as Levy ate her veggie burger. They ate in silence, neither daring to speak. Gajeel called the waitress back to get the check and pay, leaving a few moments later.

"Can I give you a ride home? It's pretty late for a bus." Gajeel asked when they were outside the diner, Levy thinking hard. "You're being stubborn again, aren't you?" He smiled warmly, heading for his car. He opened the door for her and went to the driver's seat, letting the bluenette choose if she would join him or not. He wouldn't pressure her or make her get inside. He decided to give her space. He started the car, leaning back on his seat. Levy pursed her lips, looking at Gajeel and at the opened door. _Oh, fuck it._ She got inside, closing the door and buckling up. She didn't look at Gajeel to see the wide smile on his face, she merely stared at the road.

"A penny for your thoughts..." He said in a small voice after he drove out of the parking lot and onto the street.

"You're making it hard for me to keep a grudge." Levy smiled crookedly, playing with her fingers.

"Point for me. My hard work pays off." Gajeel was glad he could talk to her so freely once more, the heaviness from his chest lifting slightly. "Besides, I don't want you to keep a grudge. As I said, I want you as a friend."

"I need time to forgive."

"I can give you that. And space. Whatever you need." Levy couldn't suppress the blush that warmed her cheeks, smiling at him. Gajeel parked the car in front of her apartment building, turning towards Levy. "Thank you."

"What for? _You_ took me out for dinner."

"For giving me a second chance, even though I don't deserve it. I can be... a little rough." Gajeel took her hand, squeezing it slightly while staring deeply in Levy's brown eyes.

"You're welcome..." Her stomach flipped when she felt his hand. "I... should go... Thanks for dinner and the ride."

"Anytime, squirt." With this, Levy got out of the car and went home. Gajeel exhaled heavily, feeling very happy he swallowed his pride for once. For a split second, he could see himself with the short bluenette, and he liked it.

**TBC**

* * *

******_How about it? Did you liked it? Loved it? Hated it? Please review, your opinion matters to me as a writer._**


	9. Chapter 9:Friends again

_**Author's note:** I have a severe intollerance to nutty fruits. It's a good thing I know what makes me sick, cuz I do everything in my power to avoid any kind of contact with nutty fruits. The first time my hubby saw how badly allergic I am, he was eating some junk food with peanut flavour. I can't describe how quickly the smell filled the room, but a few minutes after he opened the bad of puffs, I was seisuring... He got really scared, holding my hand the whole time I was shivering. The shivering isn't so bad, but the choking is. My air pipes swell up and I can't breathe. All in all, NOT PRETTY. And he got to experience it too many times since we've been together, bless his soul..._

_**EmmyHippo** , too stubborn or too shy. Thank you!_

_**BlackLothus** , (I uploaded the first chapter to the fiction YOU inspired) I'm glad i could help you, even though I'm thousands of miles away. I think it a conscient choice we as souls do before we are incarnated. And everything we do leads us closer to that lighted path. It's no use fighting against it, because it's a wonderful path, filled with lots of emotional and spiritual gains. As for the review, I think Mashima sensei is making them canon, by the looks of **Chapter 396**. I still can't get enough of it! I couldn't help myself and just HAD to make a sketch of it ~^w^~ And, from what I've noticed, he did learn to be more kind, but he doesn't like to show it. Lily is the best proof he is kinder. Saving his nakama both in the anime and manga is also big HUGE proof._

_**Sketcher1994** , stubborn and proud he is (yoda style). It's what defines Gajeel as ... well... Gajeel. Mr. Bad Boy can't POSSIBLY be seen in public with a bookworm girlfriend, or GOD FORBID his manliness would ooze out of him and make him a pansy. oh THE HORROR..._

_**crystalroes12** , I tried to bring the action from the manga. I believe Levy truly forgave him when he oferred himself to be her partner in S-Class exams. By then, I feel she was fighting with the grudge she wanted to keep and with her growing feelings. But that's just me, maybe I'm getting it wrong. Mashima knows better._

_**Lexie and the anime** , he's trying. Hard. and YES! it was AWESOMEEE! Now Mashima sensei has to keep us cliffhanged till the next chappie. My heart won't last T_T_

_**Robin-rose-sama** , thank you!_

_**AGAIN, THANKYOUFORYOURINFINITEPATIENCE! **_

_All in all, thank you for all the patience and love and reviews and reading my fics... And **everything**! By the way, I'd love to see a review/comment in your native language! (Of course, please consider the writer, as well, since I only know 4 languages: Romanian, English, Spanish and Japanese, so add a translation, as well, if you guys happen to not be a speaker of those 4 languages)_

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**CHAPTER 9: Friends again**

The next few days, Gajeel called the short bluenette on the phone, trying to make an appointment, but she refused politely each time. So he thought of a different approach.

Levy had an appointment with Natsu, knocking on his door in the morning. The pink haired man opened the door with a wide smile, like always, letting her get inside. She took her shoes off and headed for the living room, stopping suddenly with wide eyes.

"Hey, squirt." Gajeel was lying casually on the couch, smiling crookedly.

"What are you doing here?"

"Good mornin' to you, too…" He said with disappointment. "Well, you don't seem to have any free time for me, so I had to improvise."

"Yeah, well, I've been busy."

"I noticed. I also noticed you're being stubborn again. And I thought I made myself clear when I said I want us to be friends again. Do you?"

"Well… Yeah, but…"

"Then why don't you answer the phone or text me back?" Levy was silent, looking away. "If you don't want my friendship anymore, just say the word and I'll back off…" Gajeel said with a small voice.

"Okay, I was rude. I'm sorry. I'll answer the phone next time you call, deal?"

"Deal." He smiled widely. "Now, I'll go make myself comfortable, I'll be waiting." He winked at Levy when he passed her, her cheeks flaming.

"What?"

"Oh, Natsu didn't tell you? I'm the lucky bastard today." Natsu popped his head from the kitchen with a wide smile.

"He's right, I lost a bet and I'm payin' for this session. Do you have time for me, too?"

"Uhm… Yeah… Sure… I'll go… wash my hands…" Levy walked mechanically to the bathroom, changing her clothes and washing her hands.

A couple of hours later, Natsu was still snoozing on the bed, so Levy took her leave, Gajeel leading her to the door.

"I'll call you for an appointment this week, 'kay?"

"Okay."

"Have a good one."

"You too, Gajeel." He closed the door behind her, Levy heading for the bus stop. A few minutes later, her phone rang, Levy rummaging through her bag for it. She looked confused at the caller ID, placing it to her ear after answering.

"Yes?"

"_You answered!_" Gajeel's voice was amused.

"I said I would, didn't I?" She felt the corners of her mouth twitch slightly. "So, what's up?" For a moment, Levy made a mental inventory of her things, thinking she might have forgotten something.

"_Nothing. You said you'd answer the phone the next time I call, so…_"

"Checking up on me?"

"_Kinda, yeah. Well, have a good day._"

"You too, Gajeel." As soon as he turned the phone off, Levy's heart started beating fast, the smile lighting her face.

As promised, the next time Gajeel called, she answered, making an appointment. They kept it professional for a couple of months, Gajeel requesting Levy's therapeutic hands a couple of days a week, usually late Friday afternoon. So it happened one late winter Friday, just like any other Friday. Levy came and did her job, Gajeel offering her a beer after her massage session.

"I'm in the mood for something stronger, do you mind?" He grabbed a bottle of whiskey and poured some in a glass after Levy shook her head. He then proceeded to touch his glass to the beer bottle Levy was holding. Gajeel finished his share from one gulp, pouring himself another one as Levy made herself comfortable on the couch. He went to the kitchen to prepare himself something to eat, lunging for the peanut butter jar from the fridge, taking some slices of bread and a knife to smear peanut butter on the bread. He shoved half of a slice in his mouth, eating it fast.

"Could you, please, stop eating that?" Levy wrinkled her nose, trying to prevent her stomach from squirming after the room filled with peanut smell.

"Why?" Gajeel asked innocently with his mouth full.

"I'm allergic to nutty fruits. Even the smell makes me sick."

"Come on, really? From way over here you can smell this?" He lifted his peanut butter sandwich and showed it to her.

"Yes, and it's making me sick. Please?" Levy placed a hand over her nose, glaring at the offending smell.

"Okay..." Gajeel closed the lid and shoved the rest of bread in his mouth, licking his fingers.

"Thanks..." Levy was already feeling queasy, but she ignored it and went on the balcony to get some fresh air. She opened the windows and waited a few moments for the smell to clear, but it was in vain. A few minutes later, Levy's face drained of color as she staggered back inside. Gajeel looked puzzled at her when she lunged for the bathroom, where she emptied the contents of her stomach in a violent way.

"Are you OK?" Gajeel knocked on the open door, only to burst through it to catch Levy before her legs gave. "Levy! Hey!" He slapped her face easily, trying to get her back to her senses after she fainted. A few seconds later Levy started shivering violently, gasping for air. "Hey! Levy! Wake up! Come on, sweetie, open your eyes! Fuck!" Gajeel scooped Levy up and headed for the living room, placing the bluenette on the couch. He grabbed his phone and dialed 911, a female voice answering after the first ring.

_"911, what's your emergency?"_

"My friend is having some sort of seizure." Gajeel began telling the woman what happened, exhaling heavily after she said the ambulance would be there in 5 minutes. By the time the paramedics arrived, Levy came back to her senses, but she gasped for air. Gajeel was holding her hand, worry clear on his face. He almost ran to the door when he heard the doorbell ring. Gajeel let the paramedics in and followed them closely.

"What happened?" A man asked Levy.

"You called an ambulance?" Levy's voice was weak, but Gajeel felt her embarrassment when he nodded.

"Miss, we need to know what happened so we can help you." A woman pushed.

"I'm allergic to nutty fruits and he ate a peanut butter sandwich and filled the room with peanut flavor."

"She threw up a couple of minutes later and fainted in the bathroom, then she started shivering violently." Gajeel continued, crossing his arms.

"Did you eat...?" The lady started, but Levy cut her.

"No... Even the smell makes me sick. And my throat swells up..."

"Open up." The male doctor had a flashlight in his hand and inspected Levy's mouth and throat. "It's a severe allergic reaction. Nothing to worry about, we'll get you some adrenaline and an antiallegic. It's a good thing you called, she could have choked to death." The female doctor prepared a syringe and a couple of pills, gave Levy a shot and helped her drink the pills, wrote a prescription and gave it to Gajeel, instructing him what to do with it. A few minutes later and Gajeel walked the two paramedics to the door, thanking them for their work. He came back to the living room with a worried look.

"Sorry..." Levy said in a low voice.

"What for, silly?"

"For making you see me like this..." Gajeel gapped at the bluenette.

"You are apologizing to _me_ for making you sick? You're amazing..." He smiled, not expecting for her to think in such a way.

"Well... you didn't know about it, so it's not your fault."

"It is my fault! Stop trying to make me feel better." He approached the couch, kneeling next to Levy's lying form. He placed his hand over hers, looking glum. "I'm sorry... Don't! Say a word, cuz it's my fault."

"But..."

"Not! A word!" Gajeel shushed her, placing his finger over her lips. "You gave me quite the scare..." The raven haired man looked torn at her.

"Sorry..." Levy apologized again, making him smile. He looked at her intently for a long moment, then got up and headed for his bedroom. A few minutes later and he came back, heading for Levy.

"Do you have plans tomorrow morning?" Gajeel asked suddenly.

"No..."

"Good, you're spending the night here."

"What? No! I couldn't possibly..."

"I won't take no for an answer. You're not well and I'm in no condition to drive you home."

"I'll take a cab..."

"You expect me to let you get in a stranger's car in your condition? Not gonna happen! You're staying here!"

"But..."

"No buts!"

"My friend will get worried if I don't come home...'

"Call her and let her know you're safe. Heck, give her the address and my phone number if it makes you feel better."

"Silly Gajeel, you think I don't trust you?" Levy rolled her eyes and got up from the couch, wobbling from the drugs. Gajeel steadied her, holding Levy in his arms.

"You can't even walk straight and you wanna go home? Come on. Stay for the night. I'm gonna sleep on the couch, and I won't try anything." Gajeel though Levy didn't want to stay because he might take advantage of her, but she smiled warmly.

"Okay... I owe you one."

"Really? I was the one who made you sick and you owe me one?" Gajeel shook his head in disbelief. "Come on, let's watch a movie or something." He placed an arm around Levy's shoulder to keep her from wobbling and lead her to the bathroom, wailing outside to let her freshen up. Once she was finished, Gajeel steadied her back to the living room. "Are you hungry? I'm gonna order something."

"Order? Don't you cook?"

"Me? I can't cook to save my life." He snorted, amused.

"Well, then, let's see what's in the fridge." Levy headed for the kitchen determined. "Beer, beer, a bottle of ketchup, some bread... Really? Nothing?"

"I usually eat before I get home."

"Hmm..." Levy opened the freezer with a thoughtful look. "Okay, I found some... turkey wings, and some veggies." The bluenette grabbed the two plastic bags and headed for the sink.

"What are you doing?" Gajeel watched her intently.

"Cooking something."

"You can cook?"

"Well... yeah... Enough to survive. My brother and I had to help my mom with house chores. She worked double shifts to get us food on the table, so we prepped dinner and stuff like that."

"Oh." Gajeel felt awkward for making Levy remember her bitter past.

"Do you have some potatoes and carrots? Maybe some onions?"

"Uhm.. let me look... Oh, here we go! A couple of potatoes, two carrots and an onion. Is this enough?"

"Perfect!" Levy rummaged some more through Gajeel's drawer, finding some rice and semolina. Gajeel peeled the potatoes and the carrots, watching Levy intently as she washed a pot, put some water in it and placed it on the oven to boil. She washed the turkey wings and placed them inside the water to boil. Levy measured a cup of rice and poured water over it to wash it, Gajeel watching her intently. He filled a beer handle and offered it to her, Levy gladly taking a sip.

"Can you turn on some music? I can concentrate better when I'm having fun."

"Sure. What'll be?" Gajeel turned the radio on, sifting through programs. He hit a certain 'Rock FM', Levy stopping him.

"Ooh, I love this one!" Levy started to shake her head slightly, moving on the beat slow enough not to make herself queasy again.

"You like rock music?"

"Pff, please. I grew up with Metallica, Iron Maiden, Skid Row... And the list goes on. AC/DC, Scorpions, you name it." Gajeel merely stared at her. "What?"

"Nothing... I was just thinking. You're amazing, you know?"

"Me? Nah... I'm just normal."

"Believe me when I say you are NOT."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Levy said with a smile, Gajeel snorting.

An hour later, the dumpling soup and the rice were done, Gajeel coming to inspect the food.

"Smells great!"

"You can have a seat, I just finished." Levy grabbed two plates and poured some soup, placing the filled plate under Gajeel's nose. She grabbed her own and took a seat next to him.

"Holy shit!" Gajeel startled Levy, who was just about to shove the spoon in her mouth.

"What? Be careful, might be too hot." Levy thought Gajeel might have burnt himself from the hot soup. Gajeel snapped his eyes to the bluenette, looking at her with awe. "What?"

"I've... never tasted anything like this before... It's fucking delicious!" Levy smiled as a thank you, eating her soup. "Your boyfriend is a lucky man." The bluenette snorted.

"What boyfriend?" Gajeel's eyes glinted a bit, but shoved the thought aside. "I can't even kiss, so it's pointless mentioning a boyfriend."

"Really? No boyfriend? I could've sworn that Korean guy from the salon was..."

"Oh, no, he's just a friend."

"Well, I watched him, and your little friend zoned guy has the hots for you. And I can totally see why he'd fall for you."

"Really? You think he's into me? I never considered it, I'm still used to the lack of attention from back home. Well, not really lack of attention as much as scaring them away." Levy laughed bitterly.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you've seen me fight... The others just... ran away. One of them said that girls should be delicate, not scary, like me. So I punched him in the nuts." Gajeel burst into laughter, making Levy smile.

"Pussies. Too damn afraid to take on a real woman. I would love for my girl to be able to protect herself. I could rest easy at night knowing she can be safe wherever she may go or what hour she'd roam the streets." Gajeel looked intently in her eyes.

"You impress me, Gajeel. I like the way you think." Levy smiled crookedly without realizing she fluttered her eyelashes at him.

"Thank you." The rest of the dinner was silent, neither lifting their eyes from the plates. Once they were finished, Levy and Gajeel went to the sink to wash the plates. The raven haired man took Levy's plate before she could complain, placing them in the washer.

"How about we watch that movie now?" Gajeel asked with a husky voice, pulling two beers from the fridge.

"Sure." Levy went to the living room, slumping on the couch. "You could've let me go home, I feel fine now."

"You can't fool me, shrimp. You still scare me with that pale face. I don't mind you having here. Besides, without you, I would've probably starved to death." Levy giggled.

"Somehow I can't bring myself to believe you. But I will accept your compliment." Gajeel slumped next to her, even though there was more than enough space on the couch, grabbed the remote and started sifting through the online movie sites. Once both decided on a movie, Levy made herself comfortable on the left arm of the couch, pulling her legs to her chest to make space for Gajeel. He sent a fleeting look towards her, grabbing Levy's legs and placing them in his lap. She looked at him curious, but seeing Gajeel place his arm over her legs, she relaxed. At one point, Gajeel started running patterns on her leg absentmindedly, raising goose bumps on Levy's skin.

"Gajeel... "

"Hmm?" He looked her thoughtfully.

"The movie is over... Can I have my legs back?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry." Gajeel realized he was caressing her skin, releasing her with a blush. "Uhm... I think it's a reasonable hour to crash..." He got up abruptly and headed to his bedroom to grab a pillow and a blanket. When he got back, he avoided Levy's eyes as she wished him a good night and headed to his bedroom, making herself comfortable on the master bed. Both herself and Gajeel twisted and turned in their beds, sleep avoiding them with all costs. A couple of hours later though, Sandman took pity on them and so they went to sleep.

**TBC**

* * *

******_How about it? Did you liked it? Loved it? Hated it? Please review, your opinion matters to me as a writer._**


	10. Chapter 10: It's just a phase

_**Author's note:** Yep, hubby had the same inner torment before he actually gave in and accepted his own feelings (or so he says). Also, a while after we got together told me something about this one time I came to his house for a session and freaking fell asleep right after (all I remember is that he went to the bathroom and BAM instant sleep for me - I know... professonal...) So he comes back, realizes I'm fast asleep and he decides to watch me for a while. About 10 minutes later, he did what Gajeel did to Levy, just that he didn't go out afterwards. He merely went to the computer and played some music. I'm gonna write this scene in the following chapters ^W^_

_**Kcrespo020691** , *pats Gajeel on the back* good dragon, that's a nice dragon gihihihihi_

_**Sketcher1994** , oh, stubborn is my middle name... Oh, by the Scottish, really? I love your accent! I love playing around with accents. And thank you._

_**InuBakaGirl** , I love writing fluff XD_

_**AGAIN, THANKYOUFORYOURINFINITEPATIENCE! **_

_All in all, thank you for all the patience and love and reviews and reading my fics... And **everything**! By the way, I'd love to see a review/comment in your native language! (Of course, please consider the writer, as well, since I only know 4 languages: Romanian, English, Spanish and Japanese, so add a translation, as well, if you guys happen to not be a speaker of those 4 languages)_

* * *

**CHAPTER 10: It's just a phase**

Morning came faster for Gajeel, stretching up with a yawn. He went to the bathroom to freshen up and do his morning ritual. Shower, shave, brush teeth. Half an hour later he got out, looking around for a certain blue haired girl. Since she was nowhere to be seen, he realized Levy was still asleep. So he headed for his master bedroom, where Levy was resting, and knocked once, the door opening easily. He peeked inside and gasped softly, seeing the bluenette sprawled over the bed, hugging his pillow. He eased himself inside, carefully walking towards the bed with a knot in his throat. Gajeel kneeled next to the bed, staring at Levy's sleeping form.

_Fuck…She's…_ He raised a hand to brush some blue strands away from her face, caressing her cheek with his thumb. Levy was oblivious to everything around her, sleeping soundly. He lowered his thumb to her lips, ghosting over the plump lower lip. In a haze, Gajeel got closer to her, his heart beating fast. _Please, don't wake up now…_ He closed his eyes and placed his lips on hers, kissing her softly for a long moment. With a low growl, Gajeel broke off, hurrying out of the room, back to the kitchen. He leaned on the counter heavily, grabbing a handful of his hair.

"Air… I need some air…" He huffed heavily, scribbled something on a post-it from the fridge, grabbed his keys and wallet and went out the door.

Levy woke up when her cell-phone rang, stretching for a long moment before looking around the room confused.

"Oh, right… I'm not home…" She got up and headed for the living room, where Gajeel spent the night. "Mornin'!" She said in a bright voice, looking around. "Gajeel?" She went to the kitchen, noticing the scribbled paper that had her name on it. _Went to get some stuff for breakfast. Be back soon._

"Okay…" Levy went to the bathroom to get refreshed, combing through her messy hair and nibbling on some toothpaste, since her toothbrush was at home. Once she thought she was decent enough, Levy got out of the bathroom, some shifting noise drawing her attention. She hurried to the kitchen, Gajeel snapping his head to her.

"Mornin'!"

"Good morning, Gajeel. Did you sleep well on that couch?" Levy walked towards him with a smile.

"Like a baby. Woke up every two hours crying." He joked, Levy laughing. "You?"

"Didn't even realize when the night passed." She looked in the paper bags, helping Gajeel place the groceries in the fridge.

"It's been a while since I did shopping for breakfast for a girl." He smiled bitterly, looking away from Levy's blushing form. He grabbed a couple of eggs and placed them aside, rummaging for a pan. "Have a seat, my turn to cook." He winked at her and turned to the eggs, making breakfast for Levy and himself. Twenty minutes later, they were both sitting at the counter, enjoying an omlette.

"See? You _can_ cook." Gajeel looked at her confused. "You said last night you can't cook to save your life. I beg to differ."

"Come on, you can't really call making an omlette cooking."

"You even flipped it with the pan. If that's not over level 9000, I don't know what is." He snickered impressed.

"So you're a Dragon Ball fan, huh?" Levy blushed, not expecting him to understand the subtle joke. "So, let me get this straight. You're a Romanian who can speak four languages, you work wonders with your hands, you can cook, fight pretty damn well, you talk car and listen to rock music, you help the ones in need in your spare time, you have this… gift, and you watch anime. Did I miss anything?" Gajeel laughed bitterly for a moment, Levy blushing a hot shade of red.

"I like to draw in my spare time." She blurted out before stopping herself. Gajeel snapped his eyes to her blushing form, Levy hiding her face in her plate. "It's a good omlette…" She nibbled on her fork, averting Gajeel's eyes.

"Why 'Mc'Garden?" He asked suddenly, taking Levy by surprise.

"Uhm… What?"

"Your last name. Why Mc'Garden? That doesn't sound too foreign."

"Oh… It's not my real name, obviously. My real name is too hard to pronounce for foreigners, so I changed it. It was supposed to be a half-joke, because I can speak with an Irish accent and people tell me I have a green finger. As I said, I love fooling around with accents." She said in an Irish accent, making Gajeel laugh.

"I see."

"As for 'Levy'… Short for Levintza. Yeah, I know… My godparents had a blast choosing my name…"

"I like it." Gajeel said without thinking, deepening Levy's blush.

"Good omlette…" Levy repeated, looking at her plate. They finished breakfast in silence, Gajeel quickly grabbing Levy's plate and placing it in the washer. "I should go home…" Levy said before Gajeel could turn around.

"Let me get my ke…"

"Gajeel… Really, you've done more than enough… More than I could have hoped. You can let me get home by myself."

"I can, but I don't wanna let you. It's a gentleman's job to walk a lady home." Levy looked incredulous at him, feeling a knot form in her throat. She looked down at her feet, not believing such a man truly existed. "So, milady, will you let me drive you home?" He waited patiently for her answer, seeing the torn expression from Levy's eyes.

"I already feel I'm in your debt… So…" Gajeel snorted amused, looking at her with warm eyes.

"You really never… interacted with gentlemen before, have you?" Levy kept her eyes on her feet, shaking her head. "I see… Well, true gentlemen don't expect anything in return. So you don't have to feel indebted to me in any way. OK?" He placed his hand under her chin to make her look him in the eye and see the truth there. "Come on, I'll take you home." Levy nodded, feeling too overwhelmed. She feared she would start crying from happiness if she opened her mouth. So the bluenette went to grab her things calmly and headed for the door, where Gajeel was expecting her.

The ride home was a quiet one, Levy keeping her eyes on the window. She was now sure of her feelings for him, but kept quiet, believing with all her might she wasn't good enough. Once they were in front of her apartment building, Gajeel stopped the engine and turned to her silent form.

"A penny for your thoughts?" He feared he might have done something to upset the blue haired girl.

"I was trying to find a way to thank you for all that you've done for me, but… Words fail me." Gajeel smiled.

"It was my pleasure." The two looked at each other for a long moment, Gajeel turning abruptly and looking at the wheel. "Uhm… Have a good day…"

"You too, Gajeel. And thank you. Really…" She placed a hand on his arm before getting out of the car. She glanced one more time at him, then disappeared behind the huge doors from her apartment building.

"She's under aged, stupid. Stupid, idiotic brain!" Gajeel drove away, his gut twisting painfully.

* * *

A couple of days later, the raven haired man was having dinner at Natsu's. His future bride-to-be was very hyped about something, running around the house to find either scissors, wrapping paper or tape.

"What's up with her?" Gajeel asked Natsu quietly, sipping his beer.

"Oh, it's Levy's birthday tomorrow and she wants to wrap the present." Gajeel choked on his drink, coughing loudly.

"WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU TELL ME SOONER?" He bellowed at his innocent looking brother.

"Why would I?"

"Because! She's…" Gajeel stopped mid-sentence, not knowing how to explain.

"A wonderful person who is very special for you and you wanna impress her?" Natsu asked with a grin, Gajeel stuttering from embarrassment.

"What? N… No! Who said… I don't wanna impress her! "

"You didn't deny the special part…" Natsu raised his eyebrows, Gajeel visibly turning red. He swatted at his brother, crossing his arms when Natsu dodged him with a laugh.

"SHUT UP!"

"Come on, man, why're you getting all flustered? It's written all over your stupid face!"

"She's under aged, okay?"

"Ooooh, now I get it. She's almost 10 years younger than you and you're making it a problem."

"It _IS_ a problem. A decade-old problem." Gajeel said with gritted teeth.

"I think you're over thinking stuff. If you like her that much, just go for it."

"I can't… And, besides, she's not gonna look at some old dude like me. So stop."

"But…"

"Please. Just let it go. It's just a phase. I'll get over it faster than Deanna."

"Fine, tell yourself that, maybe you'll start believing the lie…" Natsu shrugged, watching Gajeel get up and follow Lucy.

"Hey, Blondie. Whacha doing?" He leaned on the door frame with his arms crossed.

"Getting ready for tomorrow. I wanna make it special for her." Lucy was smiling as she placed a paper ribbon on the wrapped present. "Oh, right, I don't think you know… Tomorrow's Levy's…"

"Birthday, I know. Natsu told me." Gajeel looked bitter at the wrapped box. "What d'you get her?" He asked casually.

"A laptop support with two coolers. She usually uses egg cartons for support so the laptop won't heat up."

"Oh… You think she'll like it?"

"Knowing her, she'll love it."

"I see… Do you know what else she might wish for?" Lucy snapped her eyes to the raven haired man, smiling warmly after seeing his torn eyes.

"Gajeel, if you wanna get Levy something and don't know what to buy, you could ask freely, you know." Gajeel shifted uncomfortably on his feet, waiting for an answer. "Well… She _is_ saving for a drawing tablet… Since she wants to try digital art, for a change… Oh, right, you haven't seen her works, have you?" Lucy lunged for her laptop, quickly accessing Levy's online gallery. She motioned for Gajeel to get closer, turning the laptop towards him.

"Oh, wow! Did she really…" He bulged his eyes, staring at the screen with awe.

"Yep." Lucy said proudly. "And this is the design for my wedding dress." Lucy opened the sketches, enjoying Gajeel's amazed face.

"She's really something…" He breathed, still staring the sketchy pictures. "Thanks, Blondie." He got up and hurried out the door, leaving the two love birds alone.

"He's a hopeless one, isn't he?" Lucy asked when she came behind Natsu, pecking him on the cheek.

The next day, Levy went to work on the morning shift, since Lucy insisted she should go out with her and Natsu that evening. She shrugged, knowing she wouldn't stand a chance to talk Lucy out of whatever she was planning for her 20th birthday. But she decided not to think about it, since it would mean losing her focus.

Gajeel searched online all night for a decent tablet for the bluenette that occupied his thoughts day and night. He kept lying to himself it was just a phase and he'd get over it, and he was only doing this because she was such a selfless person and he fucked it up when he practically threw her out of the house. _I'm only making up for that time, that's all._ When he finally found what he was looking for, it was already 5 A.M. and he was too giddy to go to sleep. Instead, Gajeel went to Natsu's for an early breakfast, letting himself in with his own key.

Natsu wasn't too surprised Gajeel was inside his apartment, stuffing his face with whatever he could find in the fridge. At least he had the decency to make some coffee, and that compensated for everything.

Lucy let him know about the mini-party they were holding later that night, hurrying out the door for work.

"I don't get it." Gajeel said suddenly, Natsu looking up from the paper.

"What?"

"You offered her a life without financial worries and she still does it. I don't get it."

"She hates being cooped up in the house. And, besides, she likes her job. Who am I to say otherwise?" Gajeel hummed thoughtfully, glancing at the clock. "What's up with you, got a date or something?" Natsu noticed his strange behavior.

"Not really. I got her a little something and I wanna go pick up when they open." Gajeel tried to seem casual, but his brother knew him better, and he grinned.

"You're such an idiot."

"Hey!"

"A blind one, too." Gajeel glared at his grinning face, rubbing his knuckles. "Or, maybe, you're just lying to yourself."

"I see you want me to give you some permanent makeup, lil' bro." He stepped closer to Natsu, who was calmly sipping his coffee.

"Just statin' the facts, big bro. You either are too fucking blind to see or you _don't _ wanna see. Either way, you're and idiot."

"I don't have to listen to this crap…" Gajeel was getting angry, so he spun on his heels and headed for the door.

"This is true love, moron. It's a once-in-a-fucking-lifetime opportunity and you give yourself reasons _not _to go for it. SHE'S THE ONE, IDIOT!" He yelled after Gajeel, hearing him put his sneakers on.

SLAM.

"And she's not Deanna…" He sighed heavily, returning his attention to his morning paper.

Gajeel felt his anger bubble up, thanks to Natsu's words.

"True love… What the fuck does he know? Love is merely a chemical attraction, it's not real. AAARGH! GODDAMN IT!" He turned on a darkened alley and punched the wall hard, feeling his knuckles throb. "It's just a phase. It's just a phase. It's just a fucking phase!" _It's just a birthday present. I'll just it give to her and nothing will change._ _I can keep it professional. _He inhaled deeply to steady himself, then went back on the sidewalk, heading for his car.

**TBC**

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******_How about it? Did you liked it? Loved it? Hated it? Please review, your opinion matters to me as a writer._**


	11. Chapter 11: Birthday surprise

_**Author's note:** The present thing happened to me, but after we were already together. I was saving money for an MP4 player and we went together to find one good enough for my budget. He didn't say he was planning to buy it himself, and spend a couple of hundred bucks on it, too. It was the first time when we actually argued, I insisted it was too expensive, but he wouldn't hear it. Eventually I gave in, let him buy me the MP4 player he chose (I still have it, by the way, after 8 years. Works like a charm). Held my ground till we got home, but, when he closed the door, I just snapped. I just couldn't stop crying or hugging him. He freaked out, thinking I didn't like it. I told him to give me a minute and the rest you can read lower. (As an explanation for the whole thing, I grew up in a poor family, my mom raising me and my brother all alone. She had to get three jobs to keep some food on the table and I grew up knowing you have to work for something and not take it for granted. So I wasn't used to kindness or presents, especially expensive ones.  
_

_**Mechanical-Rose-Sama** , thank you for all the wonderful reviews! As for the hubby part, I'm trully lucky to have found him. About **Mission to Dreamland**, there were some chapter that made me tear up when I wrote them. Partly because of the dream that inspired that fan fic._

_**LumiSusi** , he has the cute side in the manga, too (rubbing his face in Panterlily's fur... in front of everyone...) Points for you, missy, for noticing the subtle hint. Also, thank you for the compliment, it means a lot. I intended to make it a bit personal, and I hope I'm not dissapointing my readers with a boring/not so good story. Finnish, huh? This makes us continental neighbors XD_

_**Sketcher1994** , me and hubby were so blind... plus he was worked up about the age difference. He denied his feelings a long time before he actually came clean :))_

_**BlackLothus** , 8 years and a baby boy later... (hopefully a second child soon) *whistles*_

_**DeAmonQuEen** , hehehehe gotta love Mashima for giving us the parallel world version of our lovely Gajeel. Plus, the lovely clean up he did for the party after they saved Crocus from Future Rogue and the dragons._

_**EmmyHippo** , I'll reveal more about Gajeel's ex-wife in the next chapters, stay tuned!_

_**Lexie and the anime** , he can't. just like hubby couldn't keep it professional XD_

_**AGAIN, THANKYOUFORYOURINFINITEPATIENCE! **_

_All in all, thank you for all the patience and love and reviews and reading my fics... And **everything**! By the way, I'd love to see a review/comment in your native language! (Of course, please consider the writer, as well, since I only know 4 languages: Romanian, English, Spanish and Japanese, so add a translation, as well, if you guys happen to not be a speaker of those 4 languages)_

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**CHAPTER 11: Birthday surprise**

Levy's Korean friend knocked on the girls' changing room, startling the bluenette.

"Yes?"

"Sorry to bother you, Lev, there's this… guy looking for you. Says it's important."

"Uhm… Hold on, let me put some clothes on first." She quickly disposed of her work pants and got dressed, creeping the door open after she made sure she was decent. Her mouth dropped when she saw who was standing behind her friend, a wide, proud grin plastered on his face.

"What the heck are you doing here?"

"Hello to you, too…" Gajeel's smile dropped, seeing her reaction. "I mean, I was sure I wasn't such a bad company, right?" Levy opened the door to stare at the raven haired man, her friend making himself scarce. "Blondie asked me to come and get ya, you know, makin' sure you're not bailing on her."

"Oh… Right, let me get my stuff…" Levy went back into the room and grabbed her things, waved everyone from work goodbye and out she went, followed closely by a silent Gajeel.

"Could we… go somewhere before I drag your ass to my crazy future sister-in-law?" He blurted when he saw the car, squeezing the bag he was holding unconsciously. Levy snapped her eyes to him, blushing slightly.

"Uhm… Sure…?"

"This way." He grabbed her arm and pulled Levy between the tall apartment buildings. The bluenette was hyperventilating when she noticed the streets were rather dark, compared to the main streets. After a few minutes, she was panicking.

"Where are we going?" Gajeel could hear the panic in her voice, turning to look at her.

"It's a place I found a while back. You'll like it." A few turns later and they reached their destination. A small park between two abandoned and crumbling buildings. Nature was starting to reclaim most of the land, the swing sets being the only area that looked like it was used from time to time.

"Oh, I didn't know something like this would survive in this urban jungle!" Levy said with a wide smile, running to one of the swings and sitting down. A few seconds later, she started moving herself with her feet, holding onto the chains and hanging her head down as she swung giggling like a child. "It's been years since I did this! Never knew how much I missed it, thank you!" Gajeel came quietly and sat on the free swing next to her, looking down. He waited for her to stop before opening his mouth to speak.

"Happy birthday." Levy snapped her eyes to him, blushing visibly. When she didn't say anything, he continued. "Natsu told me. And… here." He extended the plastic bag to the shocked bluenette, not looking at her.

"Uhm… Thank you…"

"Sorry I didn't have time to wrap it, I only found out yesterday."

"No problem…" She said thoughtfully, pulling the thin cardboard box from the bag and bulging her eyes. "What's this?" She couldn't believe her eyes.

"Your birthday prese…"

"Take it back." She shoved the whole thing in Gajeel's hands, looking away.

"What? Why? It's for you…"

"I can't accept it."

"Why not?" Gajeel couldn't understand her reaction. After all, Lucy told him it was something she was saving money for, so she must have wanted it badly.

"Because…" She kept looking away, Gajeel trying to catch her eye.

"It's non-refundable, sorry, so…"

"Gajeel, this isn't funny!" Levy finally snapped her eyes to him, and she looked angry. "Please, take it back."

"I don't understand. Blondie told me you're saving big bucks for this, so why…"

"Lucy told you? Damn it!"

"Yeah, she did. And she showed me your sketches, too, which are great, by the way. You're really talented and you deserve…"

"No I don't! So, please!" She looked away, a knot strangling her words. "Take it back…" Her voice cracked, Gajeel noticing she started crying.

"Did I do something wrong…? Please, talk to me." She shook her head, keeping her back to him.

"I don't deserve it." She turned to leave, but Gajeel grabbed her arm when she passed him, Levy snapping her puffy, red eyes to him. "Please, let go." She looked away, escaping a few hot tears.

"No." He looked at her pained, watching Levy swallow heavily as more tears left lines on her cheeks. "What don't you deserve?" He asked softly, pulling her closer to look her in the eye. She shook her head, refusing to open her mouth. "Come on, please?" He tried again, Levy letting her tears run free.

"Anything! I don't deserve your kindness, your friendship, your attention, your g… gifts! So why? Why do you k… keep…" A lump choked the air in her lungs. Gajeel merely stared, not believing his ears.

"Because you're... someone whom I care about. You're my friend and I say you deserve it. You're kind beyond your years, and talented, so talented. I'm amazed _how_ you can actually save money from the little you get _and_ help people in need, _and_ send some back to your family! You're amazing!" Gajeel's heart drummed hard in his chest, making him huff heavily like after a spring once he finished his speech.

"I'm not…"

"YES YOU ARE! You _are_ someone who deserves such gifts from time to time…"

"IT'S TOO EXPENSIVE!" Levy pulled her arm from his grip, looking very angry. "Okay? It's too expensive! So take it back! I can't receive such a…"

"Too expensive?" He echoed her words, watching Levy cross her arms and look away, the tears not stopping. "I don't know who you've hung out with and made you believe such crap." Gajeel looked with kind eyes at her as he tried to wiggle the straps of the bag between Levy's clenched fingers. "I'm not taking it back. This is what I wanna give you for your birthday. If you don't like it, you can leave it here, or sell it, or whatever. It's yours." Levy burst into tears, hiding her face in her palms for a moment before jumping on Gajeel's neck, surprising him. She sobbed heavily in his shirt, Gajeel wrapping his arms around her waist and letting her calm down.

"These are… happy tears, sorry… It's just… No one's ever been… so kind to me before… I love it! Thank you! So much!" She managed to slip between the heavy sobs, Gajeel smiling warmly.

"It's about time someone rewarded you for your hard work, right?" He patted her head, unconsciously lowering his head to place his head closer to her neck and inhale deeply. A second later, Levy surprised him when she pressed her wet lips to his cheek, leaving him stare at her dumbstruck.

"Thank you!"

"…My pleasure…" Gajeel couldn't look away from her eyes. They were red and glossy, but he could still see the beautiful chocolate brown of her eyes. His insides double flipped and his throat got dry as he drowned in her eyes. _Who am I kidding…?_ He quickly looked away, clearing his throat. "We should… You know, Blondie and the rest are waiting…"

"Oh, right…" Levy quickly followed Gajeel as he led the way back the way they came from and out on the main street. He held the door open for her, Levy noticing his sullen expression. The ride to Natsu's was unusually quiet, but Levy didn't say anything. She was too happy to let Gajeel's mood get to her.

The rest of the day went like a normal birthday party, Lucy glomping her friend when she came through the door. Levy thanked the gods the party wasn't something fancy. Beer, crackers, cake and presents. And lots of laughter. With Lucy around her, Levy was unable to feel anything but happy, and she was grateful.

She was also grateful it was Friday, since Romeo, Wendy's boyfriend, unwillingly challenged her to a drinking game.

"Pffft, please. No one can get me drunk as long as I have milk by my side." Romeo turned his attention to her, clearly interested.

"Challenge accepted. Natsu, bring the birthday girl some milk. I'll go get the tequila from the bar."

"Go crazy, man. Just so you know, you're not driving my sister anywhere tonight, you two are spending the night here, clear?" Romeo waved in agreement, grabbing the tequila bottle and returning to the table.

"Ready to eat your words, missy?" He shoved an empty whiskey glass under Levy's nose, pouring some alcohol in it. Natsu came back momentarily with the milk, letting Levy take a couple of gulps before downing her glass with a grin.

"Prepare to be put to shame. Hit me again." They kept at it until the bottle was empty, Romeo wobbling back to the bar to get the bottle of whiskey. Levy grinned again, feeling her cheeks burn, but nothing else.

"Yer cheatin'!" Romeo stumbled on his words, glaring at an innocent looking Levy after almost emptying the bottle of whiskey.

"I'm not cheating. I told you, if I have milk by my side, no one can get me drunk." Levy smiled proudly after everybody cheered. "Are you…OK?" The bluenette watched Romeo intently, the color draining from his face a second later before he lunged for the bathroom with Natsu on his tail. "Told ya… I hope he's OK…" She turned her apologetical eyes to Wendy, who shrugged it off.

"He'll be fine in the morning. That's what he deserves for being proud and stubborn." The ocean haired girl giggled.

"An aspirin will do the trick." Levy shoved a spoonful of cake in her mouth, watching the rest dancing in Natsu's living. She noticed Gajeel in a far corner, looking on the window with a sullen expression and sipping some juice. She got up and went to him, rubbing his back in comfort. "What's wrong?" He glanced her way briefly.

"Nothing…" He sipped again, looking at his sister.

"Aren't you having fun?"

"It's not that… It's just… Nah, forget it. It's stupid of me…"

"I asked because I'm interested, but if you don't wanna talk about it, I won't push. She's all grown up now, isn't she?" Levy followed Gajeel's eyes, looking at Wendy with fond eyes.

"She's talking about marriage… Romeo proposed and she came to ask us to give her blessing. That flame brain told her yes, of course, jumping up and down like an idiot! She's not ready for something like this!" Gajeel squeezed his glass.

"I get it… The big brother doesn't wanna accept the fact that his little girl grew up." Levy giggled.

"What? No! That's not…!"

"Uh huh, says the guy in the corner who glares at his sister's boyfriend." The bluenette laughed, earning a death glare.

"I don't glare! I like Romeo, he's a nice kid. Considering how well he's treating my baby sister, I totally approve of… them. But marriage… They're not ready for such a huge responsibility. I wasn't and I didn't listen. Got my ass fried and it hurt like hell."

"Your ex wasn't meant to be. Look at Natsu and Lucy."

"They're different."

"And Wendy isn't? Not all of your siblings have to go through what you did. Maybe she's lucky and found the one man who'll spend the rest of her life with."

"I truly wish that were the case, but what if…"

"Gajeel, she's older than me. She's a very bright young woman and she knows what she wants from her life. Why do you think about the 'what if's? It's bad luck for her, you know."

"I know, I just can't help it. I don't want her to go through what I…" Gajeel looked hurt at the bluenette, realizing he said too much. "Never mind." He looked away, trying to avoid Levy's eyes.

"You still love her…" Levy placed her hand suddenly on his chest, closing her eyes in concentration. Gajeel snapped his shocked eyes to her concentrated form, his heart beat increasing from the sudden closure. "It's not fair for such a wonderful guy like you to go through what you did…" Levy felt his pain choking her. "Even though you still long for the other one, I see your heart get lighter. Someone is healing your heart…" Gajeel placed his hand over Levy's taking it away from his chest when she snapped her eyes open and looked questioningly at his burning eyes. "You found someone." She realized with a slight pain inside her. Gajeel kept quiet, looking in her eyes. "If this new person makes your pain go away, why don't you go for it?" She echoed Natsu's words without knowing.

"Because it's forbidden." He said suddenly, boring his red eyes into hers like trying to make her understand how he felt about her.

"Forbidden…? I don't und…"

"Stop. Please, stop…" He turned away from the bluenette.

"I'm sorry… If I said too much…"

"No, no… You _saw_ too much." He smiled bitterly, gulping his juice down. Gajeel then got up and headed for the table to fill his glass again, Levy watching him with pained eyes as he disappeared into the kitchen.

"He's such a stubborn idiot…" Natsu came behind Levy, startling her.

"Why do you say that?"

"Can't tell ya. But I can confirm what you just said. He found someone, but he's too stubborn to admit it." He smiled knowingly, Levy feeling her heart break. "And, from my point of view, the one he found is _the one_. But we're talking about Gajeel here, I don't call him Metal Head just for his piercings, ya know." Natsu laughed lightly, sipping his whiskey.

"I see…" Levy said with disappointment. "Well, I hope he'll pull his head from his ass and go for it. Maybe he'll be happy for once."

"Cheers to that!" Natsu said cheerily, going back to his fiancé.

"Yeah… cheers to that…" Levy glanced at the clock, noticing the very late hour. She grabbed her things and presents, went to hug Lucy and Wendy and headed for the door to take her leave.

"Hey, Metal Head! Drive the birthday girl home, will ya?"

"Why?" Gajeel popped his head from the kitchen.

"Because you're the only one sober here, duuuuh!" Natsu rolled his eyes, waving him away.

"… Fine." Gajeel grabbed his keys and headed for the door, opening it for Levy without a second glance. She thanked him in a small voice, following him to his car.

Levy could feel Gajeel's mood, and it was pressing on her lungs. She glances a few times his way, wanting to say something to comfort him, but words failed her. The ride home was a very quiet one, Gajeel looking at the road and ignoring Levy completely. He parked in front of her apartment building, Levy breaking the silence.

"Thank you again. For everything. It means a lot."

"Yeah, don't mention it." The raven haired man kept his eyes ahead, not daring to glance Levy's way.

"We're still on for next Tuesday?"

"Of course, I don't wanna cut the treatment now." Gajeel grinned at her briefly.

"Okay, have a good night." She pursed her lips, wanting to comfort Gajeel, but not finding any words, so she placed her hand on the knob and opened the door.

"You too, shrimp…" Levy got out of the car, hurrying to her home as Gajeel watched her intently until she got inside the apartment building. He then drove off with a sullen look.

**TBC**

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******_How about it? Did you liked it? Loved it? Hated it? Please review, your opinion matters to me as a writer._**


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